Two vastly different female detectives are thrown together to solve the murder of a local man in the sleepy seaside hamlet of Deadloch.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.9/10
IMDb: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Metacritic: 79
TMDB: 6.3/10
Production
Guesswork Television, OK Great Productions, Amazon Studios, Amazon MGM Studios
Cast
Kate Box, Madeleine Sami, Nina Oyama, Alicia Gardiner, Brian Coll, Shari Sebbens, Steve Bisley, Damien Garvey
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, foul-mouthed Australian murder mystery that starts as a deadpan coastal whodunit and gradually swerves into a broader, very specific satire of small-town politics, policing, and gendered power. The first season is the essential run: it’s the most tightly plotted, funniest, and most satisfying stretch, with the second season best approached as a continuation rather than a clean reset.
Best for
Viewers who like crime stories with strong comic bite
Fans of ensemble mysteries and eccentric small-town settings
People who enjoy dark satire with a feminist edge
Anyone who likes a case-of-the-week structure that keeps escalating
Skip if
You want a straightforward, serious detective drama
You dislike abrasive humor, swearing, or tonal whiplash
You prefer mysteries that stay tightly realistic
You want a show that plays its central relationship dynamics straight
Overview
Deadloch is one of the more distinctive crime-comedies of recent years: a murder investigation that uses its sleepy seaside setting as a pressure cooker for gossip, resentment, and institutional incompetence. The show’s humor is blunt and often vicious, but it’s also carefully built around character clashes, especially the friction between its two lead detectives and the town’s performative civility.
Worth noting
What makes it work is the control of tone. It can feel like a standard whodunit one minute and a full-on social satire the next, yet it usually lands on its feet because the writing keeps the mystery moving. The first season is the standout and the most complete version of the premise, with a satisfying balance of case mechanics and escalating absurdity.
Bottom line
If you’re open to a show that is messy on purpose and happiest when it’s skewering local politics, macho posturing, and the self-mythology of “nice” communities, it’s very easy to recommend. If you need your crime fiction to stay sober and procedural, this will likely feel too jagged and too arch.
2018 · Curator 8.3/10 (154.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, BritBox, Spectrum On Demand, Netflix Standard with Ads, Tubi TV
For viewers drawn to sharp female-led dynamics, dark humor, and a cat-and-mouse energy that keeps shifting tone.