The Alienist

New York, 1896. Police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt brings together criminal psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, newspaper illustrator John Moore and secretary Sara Howard to investigate several murders of male prostitutes.

The Alienist (2018-2020) is an American period crime drama series created by Cary Joji Fukunaga for TNT. Daniel Brühl plays criminal psychologist Laszlo Kreizler, who teams with newspaper illustrator John Moore (Luke Evans) and secretary Sara Howard (Dakota Fanning) to hunt a killer targeting young male prostitutes. Police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt (Brian Geraghty) gives them an unofficial mandate while institutional resistance and corruption block every step. Set in 1896 Manhattan, the series moves through the city's tenements, morgues, and gaslit streets, with each season following the investigators as they chase clues, interview suspects, and confront the cruelties of a rapidly changing metropolis. Across two seasons and eighteen episodes, it is a serialized mystery with a sustained procedural rhythm rather than a case-of-the-week format. The tone is grim and atmospheric, with a melancholic, claustrophobic feel shaped by period detail and forensic curiosity. Its themes of early criminal psychology, social neglect, and moral compromise make it a natural pick for viewers who enjoy Hannibal, Ripper Street, and Murdoch Mysteries, offering dark historical intrigue with a strong ensemble and a mature, unflinching eye.

Audience reception is positive, praising the cast and the period-set mystery while finding the pacing and tone uneven across its run.

• Murdoch Mysteriesshared gritty period crime investigation and dark urban atmosphere
• Peaky Blindersshared historical crime procedural with serial killer hunt and real historical figures
• Hannibalshared psychological profiling of killers in a dark historical setting
• Ripper Streetshared period mystery with investigators confronting a city's underside

Created by

Cary Joji Fukunaga

Release Date

2018-01-22

Episode runtime

48 min

Rating

7.7 / 10 (736)

What is The Alienist about?

In 1896 New York, a criminal psychologist and a small team of outsiders hunt a serial killer of young male prostitutes.

What is The Alienist like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Alienist as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.

Is The Alienist violent?

Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Alienist as graphic.

What did critics think of The Alienist?

Audience reception is positive, praising the cast and the period-set mystery while finding the pacing and tone uneven across its run.

Which shows are like The Alienist?

Shows with a similar feel include Murdoch Mysteries, Peaky Blinders, Hannibal, and Ripper Street.

How long is The Alienist?

The Alienist: 2 seasons, 18 episodes.

Is The Alienist still running?

No, The Alienist has ended.

Where can I watch The Alienist?

In United States, The Alienist streams on YouTube TV, TNT.