Many thrilling miniseries have been released throughout the years, meaning a handful of truly great shows have inevitably been lost in the mix. Regardless of how well a series compacts a gripping story into a limited number of episodes, it can’t be guaranteed that it’ll earn the attention it deserves. Shows like Black Bird and The Night Of have earned critical acclaim and aren’t entirely unheard of, but are still deserving of more attention for their compelling narratives and their leading actors’ performances.
The best thrilling miniseries range from intense tales of crime to those of psychological horror, showcasing the varying potential of the limited format. With just one season, these underrated miniseries contain powerful performances, fascinating characters, and thought-provoking stories that have the ability to stick with viewers for quite some time.
10
The Stranger (2020)
A Man’s Life Is Changed By A Mysterious Stranger
Many of Harlan Coben’s mystery novels have been adapted into Netflix series. The fascinating characters and unresolved events in Coben’s work make for an ideal miniseries, with one of the more underrated of the bunch being The Stranger. Throughout eight episodes, audiences witness the life of a man, Adam Price (Richard Armitage), being forever changed by the titular mysterious figure revealing devastating secrets.
Like Coben’s original novel, The Stranger is delightfully eerie and produces a strong sense of paranoia and deception, largely thanks to the cast’s performances. As is the case with almost any adaptation, The Stranger has its weak spots that aren’t as effective as Coben’s writing. Still, the miniseries’ evolving mystery is one that’ll keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
9
Disclaimer (2024)
A Slow Burn Miniseries That Keeps Audiences Guessing
Written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón, Disclaimer on Apple TV+ tells a gripping non-linear story about a documentarian (Cate Blanchett) and the secret she’s tried to keep hidden for years. Though Disclaimer is still relatively new, it has unfairly gone by without making much noise. Despite this, there’s a lot to love about the show.
A slow burn isn’t for everyone, but with the strong mystery and psychological thrills presented in each episode, audiences will have a hard time walking away. Disclaimer cleverly plays with the audience’s expectations through its non-linear storytelling by frequently muddling the truth about the life of Blanchett’s character. Disclaimer not only boasts a powerful all-star cast, but it is also engaging and incredibly rewarding for audiences willing to give it a chance.
8
The Corner (2000)
A Powerful Miniseries About Addiction And Poverty
A few years before The Wire, David Simon created a similarly gritty miniseries based on his 1997 book, co-written with former homicide detective Ed Burns. The Corner was adapted as a miniseries by Simon and aired on HBO. Throughout its six episodes, the miniseries examines the life of a family living in poverty in Baltimore, addressing the subject of drug trade and addiction.
The show’s quality and authenticity are often overshadowed by the success of The Wire. Though The Corner has its limitations as a miniseries, and can be seen as mostly practice for the latter show, it’s still worthy of attention. Regardless of whether audiences are familiar with Simon’s other TV shows, The Corner‘s harrowing depiction of addiction and its unique documentary-style interviews in each episode, result in a poignant watch.
7
The Patient (2022)
A Therapist Is Held Captive By His Patient
Starring a dramatic Steve Carell alongside Domhnall Gleeson, The Patient is a tense psychological thriller that provides insight into the topic of mental health while serving up an absorbing drama. The miniseries follows the complex relationship between a therapist (Carell) and his patient (Gleeson) after the latter holds him captive in a desperate attempt to suppress his homicidal urges.
As summed up by The Patient‘s best quotes, the miniseries puts forth a considerate perspective on mental health, which encourages audiences to engage deeper with the series. Earning positive reviews from critics, Carell and Gleeson’s intense performances carry the show. Though the actors did not win the major awards they were nominated for, it’s their dynamic on screen that greatly contributes to The Patient‘s palpable tension.
6
Swarm (2023)
The Obsession With A Pop Star Gets Dark
Differing in tone from the other miniseries mentioned, Swarm addresses obsession and toxicity within fandoms. Created by Janine Nabers and Donald Glover, the Amazon Prime Video miniseries stars Dominique Fishback as Dre, a young woman with an unhealthy obsession with world-famous pop star Ni’Jah. The series blends suspense with sharp social commentary, producing an all-around engaging series worthy of more attention.
Though Swarm isn’t based on a true story, its writing and real-life inspirations help blur the lines between reality and fiction. Dre’s increasingly dangerous behavior is unsettling, but impossible to look away from due to Fishback’s fantastic performance. Earning widespread critical acclaim for her work, Fishback is fully committed to the role, and with every episode, she continues to reveal yet another layer to Dre’s dark turn.
5
Candy (2022)
Inspired By A Real-Life Axe Murder
In Candy, Jessica Biel delivers a career-defining performance as the real-life Candy Montgomery, a woman accused of murdering her neighbor and friend, Betty Gore, with an axe. The series covers Candy’s life leading up to the murder and the shocking trial that came as a result. Admittedly, Candy‘s structure doesn’t differ too much from other crime series, but it does have a compelling exploration of themes of rage and trauma.
The miniseries also manages to hold the audience’s attention with its well-crafted tension and added details. A year later, Candy was followed by Love & Death, another miniseries based on Montgomery’s actions, but the former still manages to positively stand apart. Compared to Love & Death, Candy is much darker, with Biel’s portrayal of the title character heavily focusing on the psychological components of the case.
4
Black Bird (2022)
A Man Must Befriend A Suspected Serial Killer In Prison
Based on James Keene and his 2010 autobiographical novel, Black Bird tells the story of the FBI deal he accepts in prison. Hoping to regain his freedom, James (Taron Egerton) must befriend convicted serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser) and extract a confession. Unlike other true crime miniseries that merely retell the events of real-life tragedies, Black Bird seeks to go deeper.
The miniseries largely lives within the complexity of the human psyche, producing a thought-provoking and engaging viewing experience for audiences. Paired with Black Bird‘s perpetual tension and unexpected plot twists are an examination of James’ morality and some fascinating insight into the motives of each character. Hauser and Egerton are fully committed to their roles and have earned a positive response from critics for their performances.
3
Escape At Dannemora (2018)
A Real-Life Prison Escape Inspires The Series
The 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility escape, in which convicted murderers Richard Matt and David Sweat escaped from prison with the help of a prison employee, is the inspiration for the Showtime miniseries Escape at Dannemora. Benicio del Toro and Paul Dano portray the real-life murderers, and it’s their compelling performances and on-screen dynamic that help push the series along.
Several crime series inspired by real-life events exaggerate the truth for the sake of entertaining audiences, but Escape at Dannemora manages to avoid this for the most part. The miniseries is still thrilling but takes its time to lay out the prisoners’ escape plan, while simultaneously providing a look at the interpersonal relationships between Matt, Sweat, and prison employee Joyce Mitchell (Patricia Arquette).
2
The Night Of (2016)
A College Student Is Accused Of Murder
Based on the 2008 British series Criminal Justice, The Night Of is centered around Riz Ahmed’s Nasir Khan, a Pakistani-American college student who is accused of murdering a woman. The show starts with a straightforward story about a man who appears to be innocent before meticulously implementing plot twists and a complex narrative that comes together with each additional episode.
The Night Of cleverly combines the familiar procedural format with thought-provoking themes about class and racial division. Each episode depicts Nasir and his lawyer (John Turturro) as they navigate the justice system, bringing attention to the flaws within it. Ahmed’s performance and the journey of his character throughout the miniseries’ eight episodes are fully engrossing and deserving of much more attention.
1
The Virtues (2019)
A Man’s Traumatic Past Is Revisited
Stephen Graham recently starred in the Netflix miniseries Adolescence, which earned widespread acclaim for its writing and directing. A few years prior, Graham led another miniseries that unfairly earned less attention. In The Virtues, Graham plays a man named Joseph whose wife and child move to another country, leaving him behind.
Such a drastic life change prompts Joseph to reunite with his long-lost sister in Ireland, and it’s there that he must face the traumatic events of his past that he had suppressed up until this point. The Virtues is a heavy watch, but it’s one that’s easy to feel good about thanks to the respectful writing. The dark subject matter throughout the show is handled with an immense amount of care and portrayed by Graham with great consideration.
