‘Bosch’ Meets ‘Mindhunter’ in Apple TV’s Gritty 10-Episode Serial Killer Thriller

Image via Apple TV+ Published Nov 3, 2026, 4:26 PM EST Rotten Tomatoes | Letterboxd | Metacritic Carolyn Jenkins is a voracious consumer of film and television. She graduated from Long Island University with an MFA in Screenwriting and Producing where she learned the art of character, plot, and structure. The best teacher is absorbing media and she spends her time reading about different worlds from teen angst to the universe of Stephen King. Sign in to your Collider account Apple TV+ remains the go-to destination for the most gripping dramas on television. While viewers lament the lack of mysteries such as Bosch and Mindhunter recently, the detective series Nocturne is filling the void. Liev Schreiber takes up the archetypal mantle of a haunted detective, Jonah, who never got over the trauma of taking down serial killer Jurek Walter (Stephen Graham). The fallout of the case was so detrimental that Jonah lost not just his wife and child but his partner as well. The stakes are high for Jonah when Walter’s crimes start to resurface. Even though he is locked away in a psychiatric facility, Walter’s supposed previous victim, young Michael Frost, is found wandering on a bridge. Held captive for three years, authorities question if and how Walter could be involved in this or if it is the work of a copycat or accomplice. Nocturne marries the interpersonal detective issues that were prevalent in Bosch with the gripping subject matter of serial killers found in Mindhunter. The best of both worlds, Nocturne particularly excels when it comes to its performances. Stephen Graham is Chilling as ‘Nocturne’s Resident Serial Killer Stephen Graham has cultivated quite the career with characters on opposite ends of the spectrum. After portraying a father out of sorts in the intense and near-perfect miniseries, Adolescence, he is taking on a completely different role. Graham portrays Jurek Walter, the criminal supposedly behind the disappearance of Michael Frost. As Jonah attempts to figure out how Michael was released when Walter was incarcerated, Graham steals the show as said incarcerated criminal. Jonah’s investigation and personal dynamics are compelling, but Nocturne truly shines when it comes to Graham’s scenes. He portrays the type of killer who Holden Ford would love to unpack on Mindhunter. As the case progresses, Walter shows how dangerous he is in his relationship with empathetic nurse Karl (Rory Culkin). Karl’s need for money puts him into a precarious situation when he accepts a new position of administering Walter’s medication. With little training for this high-stakes job, Karl is an obvious target for Walter’s manipulative tendencies. The cat-and-mouse game between them is the highlight of the series, especially when it comes to Graham’s performance. While Nocturne adheres to many tropes of the detective genre, Graham rejects being compared to any other serial killer. He doesn’t have the bravado of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs; instead, he has a quiet eeriness that is chilling to watch. Peel back the layers of Walter’s character, and viewers can see the monster capable of burying his victims alive. Graham is clearly the standout of the project, but is just one component of the multi-layered story. The ensemble cast of Liev Shrieber, Rory Culkin, Bill Camp, and Zazie Beetz all carry the story in a narrative with many twists and turns. Nocturne is the return to the detective genre that is always a crowd-pleaser, with 10 episodes to sustain the gripping Apple TV+ mystery. Release Date October 30, 2026 Network Apple TV Showrunner John Hlavin, Rowan Joffe Directors Tim Van Patten, Logan Kibens, Allen Coulter, Joe Chappelle Writers Rowan Joffe, John Hlavin, Dorothy Fortenberry, Lee Edward Colston, Jenina Kibuka, Matthew Newman Cast