Netflix's Overlooked 7-Part Crime Series Is Perfect To Binge In One Sitting

While Netflix has a lot of genre mashups in the streaming service’s considerable back catalog, one underrated Australian drama from 2024 stands out as a must-watch for fans of crime drama. Some of Netflix’s best shows are unlikely fusions of numerous genres that don’t necessarily seem to go together. The hit mystery series Stranger Things is both a coming-of-age dramedy in the vein of Freaks and Geeks and a sci-fi horror show that borrows from The X-Files and Stephen King, but this unlikely blend ended up providing the streaming service with one of its biggest franchises to date.

Similarly, Netflix’s Ransom Canyon became a hit with audiences and earned itself a second-season renewal by mixing small-town romance with the Western genre, a pairing that might seem odd given how infamously dark and brutal TV Westerns like Yellowstone and Deadwood are. Gaining a second season is a rare achievement for any Netflix Western series, as proven by the one-season runs of American Primeval, The Abandons, and Godless, but mixing the genre with the small-town romance tropes of Sullivan’s Crossing or Virgin River clearly paid off for this project.

Sadly, not all of Netflix’s ambitious genre blenders are so widely acclaimed. Although the show was beloved by critics, 2024’s offbeat crime drama Boy Swallows Universe remains one of Netflix’s most under-seen gems. An adaptation of the novel of the same name by author Trent Dalton, Boy Swallows Universe follows a teen who is forced to explore the criminal underworld of Brisbane to save his imprisoned addict mother after his heroin-dealing stepfather’s plans go badly awry.

Boy Swallows Universe Is A Genre Mashup That Works

This might sound like a deeply bleak storyline, and Boy Swallows Universe isn’t immune to the dour tone that can infect many dramas about working-class hardship. However, the story of Boy Swallows Universe also features moments of humor, cathartic triumph, and hope, creating a mixture of crime thriller and family drama that feels utterly unique in the TV landscape. There are plenty of psychological thrillers that are as brutal as Boy Swallows Universe and plenty of family dramas as poignant, but few shows that combine these two disparate narrative styles.

Seeing the story of Boy Swallows Universe through the eyes of an inexperienced young teen lends the show a sense of naiveté that occasionally calls to mind author Mark Haddon’s seminal 2003 novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. However, the show's plot eventually leads to far darker places than that earlier hit.

Similarly, although the movies Riddle of Fire and Bookworm also feature precocious young protagonists accidentally stumbling into serious criminal conspiracies, the characters of Boy Swallows Universe feel more human and real than the comparatively broad figures seen in those lighter movies. The show’s tender handling of addiction contrasts well with its unflinching depiction of the cost of parental neglect, creating a rich, morally complex thriller that sticks with the viewer long after its ending.

Why Boy Swallows Universe Is An Overlooked Gem

While Boy Swallows Universe was adored by critics, the show didn’t become a crossover mainstream hit, and many viewers never sought out the stellar crime drama after its 2024 debut. This is a shame, since Boy Swallows Universe is an underrated gem that is a must-watch for fans of the crime thriller and the family drama genre. Compared to Mindhunter or Mare of Easttown, the show feels downright hopeful despite its dark plot twists.

Meanwhile, compared to family dramas like Parenthood or Brothers and Sisters, the show feels outright horrifying in its unvarnished depiction of poverty, drug addiction, violence, and organized crime. Thus, the Australian series represents a truly unique genre crossover, making Boy Swallows Universe essential viewing for anyone who wants to see something truly new on the streaming service.