The 15 Best Netflix Miniseries to Watch Right Now
In Netflix's history of original programming, one of the best formats that sticks out as a success for the streaming platform is miniseries. While Stranger Things and Black Mirror are multi-season standouts, there's something magical about finding a one season story you can binge in a weekend and get a complete and fascinating story from. The platform has had a number of notable breakout hit miniseries, too, from The Queen's Gambit to The Haunting of Hill House. It's a win-win for Netflix, since they can get record streaming numbers and utilize talent that otherwise may be difficult to hold onto for a multiple season show (ie Anya Taylor-Joy, Emma Stone, etc).
But like any other successful Netflix category (reality competition shows, sports documentaries, true crime, etc), there are stellar television shows, and also ones that don't quite hit the mark. And the last thing anyone wants to do is scroll endlessly through the scores of shows that'll leave you wanting more. The best miniseries give you the whole story, but will have you running around begging everyone you know to watch so you can talk about it with someone. If you're ready for a miniseries, you want something that's going to grip you right away, and keep you in its clutches until Netflix tells you it's over, and there's nothing more to do than scroll for the next fix.
To keep your scrolling time to a minimum and your watching time to a maximum, here are the best Netflix miniseries we recommend you watch (unranked, of course).
The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
Mike Flanagan's first miniseries for Netflix will have you sleeping with the lights on. The spooky tale of a family forever haunted by a house they grew up in has equal parts emotional depth and genuine scares. If anyone is a master of the Netflix miniseries, it's Flanagan.
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The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)
Flanagan's final miniseries for Netflix (as he recently entered a deal with Amazon Prime), The Fall of the House of Usher has the writer and director going out with a bang. Taking inspiration from various Edgar Allan Poe stories, this series follows a patriarch of a maligned drug company as he recounts the unfortunate deaths of all of his children.
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The Queen's Gambit (2020)
Anya Taylor-Joy stars as a chess prodigy in this historical fiction miniseries based on a 1983 novel of the same name. The show follows a woman named Beth Harmon who rises in the ranks of chess while dealing with sexism and drug and alcohol dependency. It's arguably one of Netflix's biggest releases to date.
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Beef (2023)
Ali Wong and Steven Yeun are hilariously angry in this recent Netflix series. After a road rage incident, two people from different walks of life become enmeshed in an elaborate back and forth.
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When They See Us (2019)
Created by Ava DuVernay, When They See Us is a miniseries based on the 1989 Central Park jogger case, and the five Black and Latino suspects falsely accused of the crime.
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Maniac (2018)
Emma Stone and Jonah Hill star in this headspinning Netflix miniseries about two strangers who meet during a pharmaceutical drug trial in New York.
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Maid (2021)
Based on a popular memoir by Stephanie Land, Maid stars Margaret Qualley as a young woman who escapes her abusive boyfriend along with her daughter, and becomes a maid in an effort to stay off the streets and work toward rebuilding her life.
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Unorthodox (2020)
This German miniseries follows a woman who decides to leave her ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in New York to go live with her mother in Germany. There, she reconnects with her mother and explores what a secular life could mean for her.
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Alias Grace (2017)
Based on a Margaret Atwood novel of the same name. The series follows a psychiatrist tasked with profiling a woman convicted with murder who claims she has no memory of the actual events.
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The Chestnut Man (2021)
Fans of international crime dramas will enjoy The Chestnut Man, a Danish miniseries about two detectives who are tasked with solving a cold case from 30 years ago when an entire family was murdered.
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Bodies (2023)
Detective shows are fun, but what if they also had time travel? Bodies is a recent hit for Netflix, which follows four separate investigations in different time periods, which all end up converging in an explosive way. It's based on a DC Vertigo comic of the same name.
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Inside Man (2022)
David Tennant stars as a vicar entangled in a complicated and violent mess when a parishioner gives him a flash drive with incriminating material. To save face, he ends up kidnapping his son's math tutor to keep her quiet. Stanley Tucci also stars as a death row inmate known for cracking difficult cases. Fans of crime dramas will enjoy this wild miniseries.
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The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)
Another Mike Flanagan adaptation, The Haunting of Bly Manor takes inspiration from Henry James' famous novella The Turn of the Screw. Featuring some of the same cast as The Haunting of Hill House, Bly Manor isn't as scary as Flanagan's other entries, but still packs a horrific punch.
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Midnight Mass (2021)
Midnight Mass diverts from the standard haunting format of Mike Flanagan's earlier miniseries. In a small town, a young mysterious priest arrives to try and restore faith in the place, but is plagued by strange supernatural events.
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Godless (2017)
This Western drama follows a young outlaw outrunning his mentor who happens upon a town almost entirely populated by women. One of Netflix's earlier miniseries, it received critical acclaim upon release.
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