10 Shows to Watch If You Loved French Mystery Series Lupin

If you’re into the heist genre, you need to give Spanish thriller series Money Heist (Casa de Papel) a try. Centering on the biggest armed robbery imaginable – involving printing billions of euros in the Royal Mint of Spain – we can’t help but compare the series’s Professor to Lupin‘s Assane Diop. Both are absolutely cunning and ingenious gentleman thieves, with much more in mind than just some breaking and entering. If you loved Lupin‘s scenes at The Louvre as Diop and co. strategize the theft of the necklace, and even the kidnapping of Dumont, you’ll love this tale of getting rich at the expense of everything (with some added revenge and social class critique, too).

Watch Money Heist on Netflix.

Loved Lupin‘s suspense factor? Then you’ll love The Stranger, a British drama all about a web of secrets invading a small town, leading to disastrous, deadly consequences. The mystery thriller reminds us of Lupin for its explorations of revenge, related to a woman at the center of it all who harbors secrets and uses them for major cash leverage. A little bit heist, and an emotional roller coaster as families find out their loved ones’ untold past, you won’t be able to stop watching.

Watch The Stranger on Netflix.

In Lupin, Assane Diop gets inspired by Maurice Leblanc’s brain child, a gentleman thief from another era who is equal parts mischief and refinement – a character similar to Peaky Blinders‘ Thomas Shelby. Set in the early 20th century, Shelby is a returning soldier who fights for survival in the streets of Birmingham alongside his brothers and aunt. Their gang, the Peaky Blinders, soon become notorious for their enterprising crimes, and just like for Diop, family always comes first.

Watch Peaky Blinders on Netflix.

Although it’s not French per se, there is a certain francophone flair to Killing Eve that we can’t help but associate to Lupin, whether it’s due to the main character’s name, Villanelle, or her (incredible!) Parisian apartment. The subject matter is similar, too: Eve, a bored spy at MI5, must chase down psychopathic assassin Villanelle into the depths of the Earth, learning more about herself than she ever could’ve guessed. The game of cat and mouse is amplified (which seems to be brewing on Lupin between Diop and admiring detective Youssef), and both women learn they hate each other but can’t live without each other, either.

Watch Killing Eve on Hulu.

Luckily for Diop, Sherlock doesn’t exist in the series, because we can’t help but think the two would be at their wit’s end trying to get each other. BBC’s Sherlock is a true work of art, weaving the titular character’s complex, brilliant observations of the world around him with crime fighting, giving rise to a show that is absolutely compelling to watch. With a mystery at the heart of each episode you will never see coming, Sherlock is just what you need if you’re missing Lupin. Plus, Sherlock Holmes technically makes an appearance in one of the Lupin books (by the name of Herlock Sholmes), so watching one after the other is basically required learning.

Watch Sherlock on Netflix.

If documentaries are more your thing, but you loved Lupin‘s crime-heist themes and socioeconomic critique, then Dirty Money should be your next watch. A docuseries that explores corporate greed, each episode highlights a different example that will leave you mind-blown. From the money laundering and illegal mining behind the gold business to toxic chemicals from a plastic plant in a small Texas town, this documentary makes sure no stone is left unturned. Plus, we think justice-loving Diop would love the corruption call-outs.

Watch Dirty Money on Netflix.

If you haven’t yet seen Narcos and immediately connected to Lupin’s central “Robinhood” dynamic, you should probably give it a try (worst-case scenario, you’ll just listen to the incredible bop of a theme song). Centered on the life of Pablo Escobar, told through the lens of American DEA special agents, the series is inquisitive and deeply interesting, offering a perspective into the infamous drug lord’s story. Escobar was a criminal who many people loved, and although Diop can’t exactly be compared to him, the gentleman thief’s complexities (doting father, necklace burglar, diamond gifter) make for similarly incredible TV.

Watch Narcos on Netflix.

When watching Lupin, the intended viewer knows that Diop never wanted to be a criminal and that he only has the best of intentions: avenge his father who was framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Similarly, Marty from Ozark is a man caught in a difficult situation, who must do the best he can with the cards he’s been dealt: as in, a Mexican drug cartel being after him and his family and insurmountable pressure at every turn. This show is just as addictive as Lupin, and Marty and wife Wendy’s tricks can be just as shrewd.

Watch Ozark on Netflix.

The air of mystery present in each of Lupin‘s scenes can be attributed to many reasons, whether it’s the incredible cinematography, the acting, the script, or maybe even the European sensibility of it all. That same air of sophistication is present in Bodyguard, too, a series about a war veteran named David who must protect the home secretary Julia even though their politics and personalities collide in every aspect. A difficult, ice-cold politician whose planned moves will hit the places David wants to protect the most, both trauma and ingrained beliefs are put into question in a series that’s just as thrilling as Lupin.

Watch Bodyguard on Netflix.

If you had your eyes peeled on Lupin‘s questioning scene where Diop kidnaps Dumont and uses all kinds of tactics to get him to fess up about his father’s framing and subsequent death, then Criminal: UK should be on your watch list. A series that delves into psychological warfare, it depicts various police interrogations with a multitude of different subjects. Fighting to come out on top, the investigators play all kinds of games, and it’s fascinating to watch on screen.

Watch Criminal: UK on Netflix.