The best limited series to watch on Netflix

Is there something sweeter than an ideal limited series? A crisp, contained story that is aware of precisely what it’s attempting to inform and metes out solely the area wanted to inform it? In an age when IP is king and there’s at all times not less than a query of how a narrative might proceed, a miniseries is actually a weak species, particularly if it’s high-quality.

That being stated: Good miniseries do exist, managing to thrive purely of their meant, limited (non-derogatory!) kind. And there’s a plethora of them on Netflix, so you may simply tune in and let “Next episode” take you all the best way down. So whether or not you’re attempting to refill a quiet weekend with one thing you may watch all of, otherwise you’re simply on the lookout for an excellent present you don’t have to see as an “investment,” listed here are the best limited series streaming on Netflix.

Alias Grace

Dr. Simon Jordan (Edward Holcroft) has been summoned to do a psychiatric analysis of the murderess Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon). This can be a pretty customary begin to a narrative that’s something however, adapting Margaret Atwood’s novel of the identical title to one thing hypnotic and barbed. Jordan endeavors to suss out which is true, what the actual story is, and Grace gamely meets him the place he’s at. As she unspools her depraved little story, she sparkles between all of the labels levied at her — murderess, harmless, idiot — and Gadon’s efficiency excellently laces all of them collectively. It’s a dance of deception, and Alias Grace is strictly the kind of miniseries that crackles with promise all through its six episodes. —Zosha Millman

Beef

Picture: Andrew Cooper/Netflix

One of many best reveals of 2023, Beef is a high-wire piece of home rigidity, as a street rage incident spills out right into a life-changing rivalry. Anchored by terrific lead performances from Steven Yeun and Ali Wong as Danny and Amy, the beefers in query, the present shortly spirals uncontrolled within the best doable means. Supported by Younger Mazino’s flip as Danny’s youthful brother, persistently sturdy writing, and a playful inventive strategy, Beef is a superb case for the worth of limited series storytelling. It has a pointy concept of its scope and potentialities and sticks to it, creating sturdy characters and an intriguing narrative in a fast-paced bundle.

One thing to know earlier than you resolve to watch: The present had some controversy on launch after horrible comments made by supporting actor David Choe on an previous podcast resurfaced, which was solely amplified by the solid and creators sticking up for him. That man sucks, as did the response from the Beef workforce, however the present guidelines. —Pete Volk

Godless

Picture: Ursula Coyote/Netflix

The important gimmick of Scott Frank’s Western is that it takes place in a frontier city within the American West the place a lot of the males died in a tragic mining accident. With girls making up a lot of the ensemble solid, Godless provides a unique edge to a well-known style. Michelle Dockery performs a tough-as-nails widow who groups up with a scruffy former outlaw (performed by Skins’ Jack O’Connell) to shield a small city from the wrath of a megalomaniac gang chief. The remainder of the dynamic solid, from a cocky younger deputy to the sheriff’s sister who’s in love with a former prostitute, coloration out the story and make the stakes of the drama hit even more durable. —Petrana Radulovic

The Haunting of Hill Home

Picture: Steve Dietl/Netflix

It’s not each creator who can knock it out of the park with their first series, however Mike Flanagan — after constructing a stable profession in horror motion pictures — made an enormous splash with The Haunting of Hill Home. Tailored (or, not less than, interpolated) from Shirley Jackson’s seminal e-book of the identical title, Hill Home follows a household residing within the titular home and fighting all of the ghosts and trauma it inflicts on its residents.

Hill Home is a basic for a cause: It’s not solely a skillful love letter to Jackson’s knack for spooky foreboding, however an indication that horror on TV can construct poignant tales round creepy-as-hell soar scares. —ZM

The Keepers

Picture: Netflix

There are two sorts of true crime documentaries: those that go viral for all of the incorrect causes, and those that stick to you lengthy after you roll credit. The Keepers is without doubt one of the latter, a harrowing, darkish story in regards to the homicide of nun Sister Cathy Cesnik in 1969. We by no means discover out precisely what occurred to her, however because the docuseries unfolds, we get an inside have a look at the tradition across the all-girls Catholic faculty she labored at, and the way a darkish underbelly there might need contributed to her demise. All of it unravels slowly, however manages to hold the viewer engaged all through by talking with a big group of people that had been there and have theories and perception. It’s finally a tragic story with out a satisfying ending, however isn’t that how quite a lot of crime goes? You don’t at all times catch the offender, there isn’t at all times a punishment, and the households and associates of the victims don’t get the justice they deserve. —Carli Velocci

Maya and the Three

Picture: Netflix

A stunning animated particular from husband-wife workforce Jorge Gutiérrez and Sandra Equihua, Maya and the Three is a high-stakes motion journey that attracts on Mesoamerican mythology. It follows a warrior princess named Maya (Zoe Saldaña) who groups up with three outcasts to save the world from the wrath of the gods. The character design is spectacular, as are the actually cool battle sequences, and the world of gods and monsters that Maya and her associates face off in opposition to is fairly dang cool. The animated miniseries is barely extra mature than typical all-ages choices, however nonetheless kid-friendly sufficient to share with the household. Simply hold some tissues on hand for that emotional ending. —PR

Midnight Mass

Picture: Netflix

The best of Mike Flanagan’s appreciable Netflix output, Midnight Mass builds an alluring horror story out of a small church-obsessed neighborhood, remoted in middle-of-nowhere New England. Spooky and deeply heartfelt, it’s the best match between Flanagan’s penchant for monologues and the fabric itself of any of his tv tasks (the director’s lower of Physician Sleep additionally belongs within the high echelon of Flanagan cinema).

Flanagan can be identified for working with a repeated solid of gamers throughout his tasks, however Midnight Mass provides a secret weapon: Hamish Linklater. He’s the proper match for this position and this world, and lights the display screen on fireplace each time he seems. —PV

The Queen’s Gambit

Picture: Charlie Grey/Netflix

It is perhaps robust to bear in mind now, however when The Queen’s Gambit was launched on the finish of 2020, it was an enormous deal. It was the type of viral hit that any streaming service hopes to have: a status miniseries that captures the eye of each viewers and critics, wins a ton of awards, and even conjures up a development. The Queen’s Gambit was a cultural second, and rightfully so. The miniseries stars Anya Taylor-Pleasure as Beth Harmon, an orphan and prodigy who rises to worldwide chess stardom within the Sixties whereas fighting drug dependancy and social awkwardness. It’s half sports activities coming-of-age story, half character drama, and one of many extra fascinating primers on aggressive chess in latest reminiscence. It by no means absolutely explains what’s occurring, but it surely someway captures it in dynamic element with extraordinary performances from Taylor-Pleasure and others, who promote the stakes of those chess matches.

It was so profitable that it took on new life outdoors the confines of Netflix, changing into one of many main catalysts for chess’s surge in popularity in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. It even partially led to a resurgence of chess in faculties. Should you haven’t watched it but, you want to see what the fuss is about. And who is aware of, you would possibly choose up a brand new passion after watching its seven episodes. —CV

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

Picture: Nick Wall/Netflix

The Bridgerton prequel series about younger Queen Charlotte and King George is definitely the best Bridgerton story on the market. Like The Pocket book, its taste of romance leans extra on the bittersweet, a mirrored image on timeless love overcoming hurdles up to now juxtaposed with a somber current. As with every Bridgerton story, there are quite a lot of B-plots and a large solid of characters, but it surely’s dealt with extra deftly within the prequel, with all of the plots of the previous coming collectively to mirror the current. Whereas loads of characters from Bridgerton correct return, it’s not required waiting for Charlotte and George’s love story. —PR

Salt Fats Acid Warmth

Picture: Netflix

Half journey present, half cooking present, and all pleasure, Salt Fats Acid Warmth sees chef Samin Nosrat adapt her e-book of the identical title right into a four-episode documentary series. Every episode focuses on one of many 4 components within the title, and the present thrives on particulars, going deep into every of all of them whereas focusing on the enjoyment meals brings to us in its many kinds.

A selected spotlight is the “Salt” episode, during which she travels to Japan and visits a Japanese salt manufacturing facility, however all of them are wonderful — the “Fat” episode in Italy, “Acid” in Mexico, and “Heat” in Nosrat’s hometown of Berkeley, California. The present will change the way you see cooking, and encourage you to make meals on your family members. —PV

Unbelievable

Picture: Netflix

A real-crime dramatization of a serial rape case in Colorado might so simply have veered into gross sensationalism, however this good, considerate, offended, and surprisingly entertaining miniseries avoids each pitfall. It’s deeply involved with the horrible impact on the victims, through a heartbreaking efficiency by Kaitlyn Dever, however scorns the standard prurient fascination with the perp. It’s additionally only a enjoyable, satisfying old-school procedural about two detectives who simply didn’t hand over, performed by the terrific pairing of Merritt Wever and Toni Collette. —Oli Welsh

Wild Wild Nation

Picture: Netflix

Netflix isn’t any stranger to true crime, however Wild Wild Nation was a comparatively early launch that set the stage for a deluge of dramatic, engrossing, and generally trashy documentary miniseries that may proliferate the platform within the coming years. The six-episode series in regards to the rise and fall of Rajneeshpuram — a commune in Oregon based by followers of the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh within the Eighties — is a virtually excellent cult documentary. It’s filled with twists and turns, with crimes you most likely haven’t heard of and speaking heads from individuals who had been concerned which have… let’s say some attention-grabbing issues to say. We gained’t spoil it for you right here, however the group’s story entails native politics, meals poisoning, and egos. So, so many egos.

It’s been six years since Wild Wild Nation hit the platform, and the really wild, wild story will nonetheless discover a means to drill into your mind till you gained’t shut up about it at events. —CV