The 20 best miniseries streaming on Netflix right now
Entertainment Weekly's picks range from sweeping romances like 'Queen Charlotte' to tense true stories like "Unbelievable" and "Griselda."
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In the so-called “Golden Age of Television,” miniseries have taken over, and streamers like Netflix have been at the forefront. True crime is perhaps the most notorious subgenre here, thanks to hard-hitting, auteur-driven shows like When They See Us and wild documentaries like Wild Wild Country. But there’s a little something for everyone, from historical epics like Band of Brothers to small-scale rom-coms like One Day, revisionist Westerns like Godless and the elevated horror of the Flanagan-verse.
It wasn’t easy to narrow it down, but here is Entertainment Weekly’s list of the 20 best miniseries on Netflix right now.
Alias Grace (2017)
If you’re excited that antiheroines are having a moment, then Alias Grace should be next on your watchlist. Created by Women Talking director Sarah Polley and directed by American Psycho helmer Mary Harron, Alias Grace follows Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon), a 19th-century maid who is in jail for allegedly murdering her employers.
Like fellow Margaret Atwood adaptation The Handmaid’s Tale, Alias Grace is a powerful critique of the plight of women in a patriarchal society, but it’s also a miniseries that will keep you constantly guessing about the protagonist’s guilt or innocence.
Where to watch Alias Grace: Netflix
EW grade: A– (read the review)
Cast: Sarah Gadon, Edward Holcroft, Rebecca Liddiard, Anna Paquin, Zachary Levi, David Cronenberg
Related content: How Netflix’s Alias Grace compares to Margaret Atwood’s novel
Baby Reindeer (2024)
Netflix
Based on Richard Gadd’s one-man show about his experience with stalking, Baby Reindeer starts with humor, then takes a sharp turn that makes you reevaluate everything that came before.
The miniseries has been controversial, especially after a lawsuit was filed by the woman who claims to be the inspiration for the series. But wherever you stand on the ethics of fictionalizing real people, Baby Reindeer still stands on its own as intimate, gut-wrenching television that’s deeply personal.
Where to watch Baby Reindeer: Netflix
Cast: Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning, Nava Mau, Tom Goodman-Hill
Related content: Baby Reindeer stars Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning open up about the 'complicated' stalker series
Band of Brothers (2001)
When it first aired in September 2001, Band of Brothers was all but eclipsed by 9/11, but since then it’s had a well-deserved renaissance. Following the journey of Easy Company, the group of American paratroopers who captured Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, the miniseries reunites executive producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg after Saving Private Ryan for a similarly gritty, harrowing depiction of war and heroism.
Band of Brothers has only grown in stature over the years, often cited as one of HBO’s most iconic shows and one the greatest war dramas ever made. Its arrival on Netflix is a perfect opportunity to revisit — or discover — this landmark series.
Where to watch Band of Brothers: Netflix
Cast: Ron Livingston, Damian Lewis, Kirk Acevedo, Eion Bailey, Michael Cudlitz, Scott Grimes, David Schwimmer
Related content: The 20 best TV shows based on a true story
Beef (2023)
Netflix
The less you know going into Beef, the better. Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, both excellent as always, star as Danny Cho and Amy Lau, two people whose fates become intertwined after a road rage incident. As their behavior escalates, the miniseries becomes increasingly deep and strange. As EW’s critic writes, “What begins as a manic vengeance adventure veers sharply into an intense, philosophical, and at times meandering exploration of generational trauma, the Asian immigrant experience, and the fathomless mystery of our inner selves.”
EW grade: B (read the review)
Cast: Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Joseph Lee, Young Mazino, David Choe, Patti Yasutake
Related content: Beef creator thanks real-life road rage driver in Golden Globes speech
Bodyguard (2018)
Many shows might build to their first nail-biting sequence, but not Bodyguard. The first episode starts with a 20-minute scene in which David Budd (Richard Madden), a British Army war veteran suffering from PTSD, tries to talk down a suicide bomber while on a train with his two children.
EW staffers praised Madden’s Golden Globe-winning performance, the portrayal of women in positions of power, and the “what-the-heck-is-even-happening moments” that make the miniseries impossible not to binge. And the viewers seemed to agree; when it aired in the U.K., Bodyguard became the country’s most successful launch of a drama series that decade.
Where to watch Bodyguard: Netflix
Cast: Richard Madden, Keeley Hawes, Gina McKee, Sophie Rundle, Vincent Franklin, Pippa Haywood
Related content: Creator of Netflix's Bodyguard on drama's U.K. success and whether it'll get a season 2
Godless (2017)
Godless takes the Western genre and turns it on its head, focusing on a town almost entirely run by women after a mining accident kills most of the men. Jeff Daniels chews the scenery as murderous robber Frank Griffin, giving a villainous performance for the ages (even if some of his monologues run a little long). But the women are the standouts, especially Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery and Merritt Wever as the men’s clothes-wearing, overtly feminist Mary Agnes. “I’m done with the notion that the bliss of me and my sisters is to be found in child bearing and caregiving,” she declares.
Where to watch Godless: Netflix
EW grade: B (read the review)
Cast: Michelle Dockery, Jack O'Connell, Scoot McNairy, Merritt Wever, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Sam Waterston, Jeff Daniels
Griselda (2024)
Courtesy of Netflix
You’ve never seen Sofia Vergara quite like this. The Modern Family alum sheds her comedic persona — and puts on some prosthetics — to deliver a chilling performance as Griselda Blanco, the infamous Colombian drug lord.
According to director Andrés Baiz, who also worked on Narcos, Vergara was drawn to the role of a woman in a man’s world and the opportunity to show her range. "This was a chance to reinvent herself and step out of her comfort zone," Baiz told EW. "She knew she had to dive in completely into this role and… push herself to the limit."
Where to watch Griselda: Netflix
Cast: Sofia Vergara, Alberto Guerra, Martin Rodriguez, Juliana Aidén Martinez, Vanessa Ferlito, Christian Tappan
Related content: Griselda executive producer breaks down the explosive episode 5 party scene
The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
Less of an adaptation than a reimagining, The Haunting of Hill House has almost nothing in common with the original Shirley Jackson novel except the characters’ names. But director Mike Flanagan captures the spirit of the work; in true elevated horror fashion, the miniseries uses ghosts as metaphors for trauma and unresolved grief, reaching a terrible and beautiful climax with the now-classic episode “The Bent-Neck Lady.”
“A ghost can be a lot of things: memories, guilt, regrets, trauma, loss,” Flanagan told EW. “...We all have our ghosts to contend with, and that contention is where we learn the most about ourselves, as individuals and as a society.”
Where to watch The Haunting of Hill House: Netflix
Cast: Victoria Pedretti, Carla Gugino, Michiel Huisman, Elizabeth Reaser, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Kate Siegel, Mckenna Grace, Timothy Hutton
Related content: The Haunting of Hill House creator talks putting his own stamp on a ghostly classic
The Last Dance (2020)
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You don’t need to follow basketball to appreciate The Last Dance. Chronicling Michael Jordan's final season with the Chicago Bulls, this 10-part docuseries became a quarantine favorite at a time when no one could watch live sports, painting a compelling portrait of ambition, leadership, and the price of success.
“Sports fans or non-sports fans, the Chicago Bulls were a global phenomenon,” director Jason Hehir told EW. “This was a cast of characters that Hollywood couldn't come up with, and Michael Jordan was the star of all stars.”
Where to watch The Last Dance: Netflix
Cast: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman
Related content: Why Michael Jordan's The Last Dance is exactly what sports fans need right now
Maid (2021)
Based on Stephanie Land’s memoir, Maid follows Alex (Margaret Qualley), a young mother who escapes an abusive relationship and struggles to support herself and her daughter. The miniseries is a raw and empathetic portrayal of the challenges faced by those living on the margins of society and a scathing indictment of the institutions that make it nearly impossible to escape abuse and poverty.
Qualley’s real-life mother Andie MacDowell has an unsettling supporting role as Alex’s mentally ill mother, but Qualley is the star, and her nuanced, Emmy-nominated performance makes Maid both heartbreaking and inspiring.
Cast: Margaret Qualley, Nick Robinson, Anika Noni Rose, Andie MacDowell
Related content: Andie MacDowell to star alongside daughter Margaret Qualley in Netflix's Maid
Midnight Mass (2021)
The Haunting of Hill House is Mike Flanagan’s claim to fame, but some might call Midnight Mass his magnum opus. The miniseries follows Riley Flynn (Friday Night Lights’ Zach Gilford), a man who returns to his religious hometown after serving prison time for manslaughter. When a mysterious priest (Hamish Linklater) arrives, strange and unexplainable events begin to occur.
Full of slow-burn horror, it’s Flanagan’s most personal work, based on his experiences with recovery and his upbringing in a Catholic community. "I don't know how long I could have gone without writing it," he wrote in a letter to critics. “This… was the story I always wanted to tell."
Where to watch Midnight Mass: Netflix
EW grade: A– (read the review)
Cast: Zach Gilford, Kate Siegel, Hamish Linklater, Kristin Lehman, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli
Related content: Midnight Mass creator dissects the big twists and turns of his addicting horror series
One Day (2024)
Netflix
Forget the 2011 film version starring Jim Caviezel and Anne Hathaway — One Day on Netflix is now the definitive adaptation of the beloved novel by David Nicholls. The series follows college classmates Emma (Ambika Mod) and Dexter (The White Lotus’ Leo Woodall), whose relationship unfolds on the same day over the course of 20 years.
A lovely rom-com elevated by Mod and Woodall’s chemistry and nuanced, charming performances, One Day will have you in tears by the end of your binge.
Where to watch One Day: Netflix
Cast: Ambika Mod, Leo Woodall
Related content: One Day team on why they didn't change the ending
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023)
A prequel series to ratings juggernaut Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte offers a lush, romantic look at the origins of one of the most beloved characters. The miniseries, by super creator Shonda Rhimes, delves into the young Queen Charlotte’s (India Amarteifio) rise to power and her relationship with King George III (Corey Mylchreest).
The story has a modern resonance as Queen Charlotte is written as a woman of color, which is the belief of many historians. “I wanted to tell the story of this young woman of color arriving in this world where she never imagined she'd be,” Rhimes told EW.
Where to watch Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story: Netflix
EW grade: B+ (read the review)
Cast: India Amarteifio, Adjoa Andoh, Michelle Fairley, Corey Mylchreest, Golda Rosheuvel
Related content: Queen Charlotte cast and creator on finally having an LGBTQ+ romance in the Bridgerton-verse
The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
The miniseries that made everyone learn chess during quarantine, The Queen’s Gambit was the surprise hit of 2020, captivating audiences with its riveting tale of chess prodigy Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy). Set during the Cold War, the series traces Beth’s journey from a Kentucky orphanage to the international chess scene, all while battling addiction and inner demons.
The quick pacing and inventive visuals make chess matches as thrilling as a sports movie climax, but Joy’s mesmerizing, Golden Globe-winning performance is the real draw. As EW’s critic writes, “Queen's Gambit will be remembered as the final star-making moment for Taylor-Joy, before her movie career rockets fast and Furiosa-ly.”
Where to watch The Queen’s Gambit: Netflix
EW grade: B (read the review)
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Bill Camp, Moses Ingram, Marielle Heller, Thomas Brodie-Sangster
Related content: How Anya Taylor-Joy mastered chess and her craft for Netflix's The Queen's Gambit
Ripley (2024)
Netflix
Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley in 'Ripley'Ripley brings Patricia Highsmith’s infamous con artist to the small screen in a stylish retelling that goes full noir, filmed entirely in black and white. These changes allow for a darker, lonelier version of Tom Ripley (played by a career-best Andrew Scott), whose complex psychology and lack of glamor is updated for a modern audience.
“I didn't purposely try to get sympathy or empathy for him," creator Steven Zaillian told EW. "...I trusted that, just by telling the story, that same thing would happen as it did in the book."
Where to watch Ripley: Netflix
Cast: Andrew Scott, Dakota Fanning, Johnny Flynn, Eliot Sumner, Margherita Buy, Maurizio Lombardi
Related content: Anatomy of a killer: How Ripley showrunner and Andrew Scott reinvented the infamous con artist
Stateless (2020)
Stateless is a powerful, lesser-known drama that reminds us why Yvonne Strahovski is the most underrated actress from The Handmaid’s Tale. Inspired by true events, the miniseries follows the intersecting lives of four strangers in an Australian immigration detention center. Strahovski leads the cast as Sofie, a mentally ill flight attendant who finds herself trapped in the system, and gives a career-defining performance as her character becomes increasingly desperate.
As EW’s critic writes, “Strahovski resists the temptation to go For-Your-Consideration big. Instead, she renders Sofie’s distress as a series of agonizing internal implosions, as she succumbs to debilitating paranoia.”
Where to watch Stateless: Netflix
EW grade: A– (read the review)
Cast: Yvonne Strahovski, Marta Dusseldorp, Asher Keddie, Sarah Peirse, Jai Courtney, Dominic West, Cate Blanchett
Unbelievable (2019)
Based on the devastating, Pulitzer Prize-winning article “An Unbelievable Story of Rape” from ProPublica and The Marshall Project, Unbelievable is a hard-hitting, unusually compassionate police procedural about two detectives (Toni Collette and Merritt Wever) as they investigate a series of sexual assaults.
Kaitlyn Dever gives a heartbreaking performance as Marie, a rape victim dismissed by authorities, which the actress called “the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my career.” But instead of dwelling on the gendered injustices, the miniseries highlights the importance of having women in positions of power, as the empathetic approach taken by the female investigators is key to righting the wrongs of the case.
Where to watch Unbelievable: Netflix
EW grade: B+ (read the review)
Cast: Toni Collette, Merritt Wever, Kaitlyn Dever
Related content: Real-life inspiration for Netflix's Unbelievable praises series: 'That was closure for me'
Unorthodox (2020)
Based on Deborah Feldman’s memoir, Unorthodox tells the story of Esther "Esty" Shapiro, a young woman who flees her ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn for a new life in Berlin.
The miniseries is a gripping tale of self-discovery and rebellion, with Shira Haas delivering an extraordinary turn as Esty. She earned an Emmy nomination for her performance, not least because of that powerful singing scene. "The show is about a woman finding her voice, and in that scene, she's literally finding it,” Haas told EW. “She's even surprising herself of what's coming out of her.”
Where to watch Unorthodox: Netflix
Cast: Shira Haas, Amit Rahav, Jeff Wilbusch
Related content: Unorthodox star Shira Haas says she got to 'scream her scream' in Esty's powerful singing scene
When They See Us (2019)
Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us is a searing, unflinching account of the wrongful convictions of the Central Park Five, five Black and Latino teenagers who were falsely accused of a brutal assault in 1989. The miniseries powerfully depicts the systemic racism and injustice faced by these young men, following their harrowing journey from arrest to exoneration.
With Duvernay’s auteur touch and stellar performances from an ensemble cast, especially Jharrel Jerome, who won an Emmy for his portrayal of Korey Wise, When They See Us is as emotionally devastating as it is necessary viewing.
Where to watch When They See Us: Netflix
Cast: Asante Blackk, Jharrel Jerome, Niecy Nash, Felicity Huffman
Related content: Ava DuVernay goes deep on her new Netflix series When They See Us
Wild Wild Country (2018)
Cult documentaries have been a part of our media diet, but Wild Wild Country is one you have to see to believe. Chronicling the rise and fall of the Rajneeshpuram commune in Oregon during the 1980s, the docuseries delves into the controversial practices of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his followers, leading to one of the most bizarre, shocking, and underreported events in American history. It’s a wild ride filled with twists, legal battles, and a fascinating cast of real-life characters.
Where to watch Wild Wild Country: Netflix
Related content: The 20 best cult documentaries and docuseries, ranked
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.
