10 Netflix Miniseries That Are Perfect From Start To Finish

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Netflix is a major player in the streaming world, but its limited-run series often don’t get the attention they deserve. While shows like Stranger Things, Bridgerton, and Emily in Paris are huge, long-running hits, some of Netflix’s most compelling stories are told in just a few episodes. It can be tricky to define exactly what counts as a miniseries, though.

Honestly, with so many shows these days wrapping up after just eight episodes, you might think a proper miniseries is a relic of the past. But I don’t think so at all! There’s something special about a story intentionally designed to be complete in one season. It means the creators can really focus on telling a fully-formed, satisfying story – and it avoids the heartbreak of a show getting canceled before its time, like so many on streaming services.

Alias Grace

2017

Netflix is full of beautifully filmed historical dramas that often focus on romantic relationships. However, Alias Grace is different. Based on Margaret Atwood’s novel, it’s a suspenseful and unsettling look at Canada in 1843, centering on a doctor’s investigation into the case of Grace Marks, a woman convicted of murder.

Psychiatrist Simon Jordan (Edward Holcroft) attempts to uncover Grace’s hidden memories and dreams to determine if she committed murder or was manipulated into it. The story, based on the actual deaths of Thomas Kinnear and Nancy Montgomery, remains open to interpretation. Despite being rooted in a true crime, Alias Grace creates a deeply unsettling and captivating story that leaves a lasting impression on viewers.

Cunk On Earth

2023

Diane Morgan stars as Philomena Cunk in Cunk on Earth, a brilliantly funny mockumentary series. The show playfully imitates boring educational documentaries, following Cunk as she travels the world and pretends to explain the key moments in human history. Along the way, she interviews real experts, asking them ridiculous questions with a completely straight face.

Don’t watch Cunk on Earth if you’re looking for facts, but Philomena’s unique take on topics like anthropology, religion, and art is surprisingly engaging. The clever fake documentary series stays in character throughout, even when it gets hilariously absurd – like building ancient worlds in Minecraft. It’s enjoyable even for history fans, as long as they don’t mind deliberate historical inaccuracies.

Maid

2021

Before her roles in films like The Substance and Honey Don’t!, Margaret Qualley gained attention for the 2021 Netflix series Maid. Many consider this to be her strongest performance to date, as she plays Alex Russell, a young mother whose life is turned upside down when she flees an abusive relationship to protect her daughter.

The actors in Maid brilliantly portray the common struggle of wanting to help the people you love, even when your efforts backfire. The series follows Alex as she gives up everything to care for her young daughter, Maddy, and quickly realizes the sacrifices are greater than she expected. Maid is a tough watch emotionally, but it’s definitely worth seeing – be prepared to cry!

Midnight Mass

2021

Religious horror doesn’t get enough attention, but Midnight Mass is a standout example of the genre done right. The story takes place on the remote Crockett Island and centers around the strange, miraculous events that begin when a new priest, Father Paul Hill (played by Hamish Linklater), arrives. Meanwhile, Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford) comes back to the island after spending four years in prison.

While not a classic underdog story, Midnight Mass immediately establishes Riley and Paul as opposing forces. When a mysterious, possibly holy, and vampiric presence takes over their idyllic island community, everyone faces a crucial choice: defend their beliefs or surrender to unwavering faith.

One Day

2024

David Nicholls’ popular 2009 novel, One Day, tells the bittersweet love story of Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew, following their lives each year on July 15th for twenty years. While a film adaptation with Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess was released in 2011, Netflix recently revisited the story with a new, emotional miniseries in 2024.

The Netflix miniseries One Day follows Emma (Ambika Mod) and Dexter (Leo Woodall) as their connection changes over 14 years – from classmates to close friends, then strangers, and finally, lovers. Their complicated relationship is at the heart of the show’s emotional story. While it can be hard to successfully remake a well-known story, Netflix did just that, capturing the hearts of a new audience.

Godless

2017

Westerns often don’t get the appreciation they deserve, partly because many people have old-fashioned ideas about the genre. Facing these criticisms and stereotypes, Netflix released Godless in 2017. The show centers around Roy Goode (played by Jack O’Connell), an outlaw who finds himself in the New Mexico mining town of La Belle while trying to escape his old gang.

Unlike traditional Westerns, the town of La Belle is primarily run by women because most of the men died in a mining disaster. The characters are all richly developed and brought to life by a fantastic cast. Furthermore, Godless showcases the potential of modern Westerns, helping to redefine the genre and appeal to a wider audience.

Maniac

2018

Netflix has a lot of great sci-fi shows that fly under the radar, and one of the most overlooked is Maniac. This darkly funny, retro-futuristic series stars Emma Stone and Jonah Hill as participants in a strange drug trial. A powerful computer system called GRTA unexpectedly connects them, leading to shared hallucinations that force them to confront their past traumas.

Maniac is a visually stunning show with incredible cinematography and a fantastic soundtrack. However, beneath its surface lies a deeply layered story. It offers a sharp critique of consumerism and the shortcomings of mental healthcare, while also exploring themes of grief and guilt, and how these issues connect. Even after the credits roll, Maniac’s strange and beautiful story stays with you.

The Queen’s Gambit

2020

Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit was a huge hit and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. The miniseries stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon, a remarkably talented chess player who strives to become a grandmaster after a difficult childhood, including the loss of her adoptive parents. Throughout her journey, Beth battles with past trauma, questions of who she is, and an addiction to a fictional drug called Xanzolam.

The show deliberately uses a muted color palette to distance itself from the typically glamorous look of the 1960s, mirroring Beth’s emotional struggles. As she gets increasingly caught up in the world of competitive chess while also battling personal demons, she unexpectedly finds support from her rivals and a friend she’d lost touch with.

Adolescence

2025

Though difficult to watch at times, the series Adolescence tells a crucial story. Owen Cooper delivers a standout performance as Jamie Miller, a young boy accused of a terrible crime – the murder of his classmate, Katie (played by Emilia Holliday). As the investigation unfolds and the trial begins, we learn about the factors that contributed to Jamie’s violent behavior.

The recent series Adolescence only scratches the surface of the difficult issues its creators, Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, intended to explore. They wanted to address the genuine dangers facing teenagers today, such as the growing influence of online communities promoting harmful ideologies and the increasing sexualization of young women. While Adolescence has received a lot of praise – and deservedly so – witnessing its unsettling story unfold is a uniquely impactful experience.

The Haunting of Hill House

2018

Simply put, The Haunting of Hill House is a brilliant and groundbreaking miniseries from Netflix. Inspired by Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel, it tells the story of the Crain family – Olivia (Carla Gugino), Hugh (Henry Thomas), and their five children – and their experiences with a haunted house.

Shifting between past and present, The Haunting of Hill House centers around the terrifying experiences of the Crain family at the infamous Hill House. The show masterfully builds suspense with scares subtly woven into the story, and it demonstrated that horror could be a big success on television. More than that, it proved that a well-made Netflix miniseries could set a new standard for the genre for years to come.

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2026-02-08 20:04