The 15 Greatest Miniseries on HBO Max Proper Now (March 2024)

The development of exhibits that run for a number of seasons has been taking a backseat for some time. Though with streaming there’s at all times the chance to binge-watch, not everybody has the time to attend for a brand new season to reach if you are left with the nail-biting cliffhanger of the earlier one. Typically that wait might be very irritating and different instances, you simply lose curiosity. Ergo, miniseries! Since its inception, HBO Max has provided its followers all kinds of restricted exhibits and miniseries. From hard-hitting crime tales to gripping thrillers, tense dramas, and darkish comedies, HBO Max’s library is a curation of every kind of genres and content material that you would be able to hold exploring one after one other, and also you’ll by no means run out of choices.

It’s like a really lengthy film however not so lengthy that it’s a must to spend months in suspense. Virtually all of them characteristic award-winning stars and have been critically acclaimed, with some even profitable a number of awards. So, with out additional ado, take a look at our record of one of the best miniseries streaming on HBO Max that you would be able to binge-watch proper now!

For extra suggestions, take a look at our lists of one of the best films and exhibits on HBO Max.

‘Watchmen’ (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | IMDb: 8.2/10

If in case you have seen Zack Snyder’s 2009 film model then we additionally advocate the collection so that you can sit and evaluate who made the higher adaptation. However do notice that the film and the collection are vastly completely different from one another. Based mostly on the enduring 1986 DC comedian collection by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Watchmen (2019) is a superhero dystopic motion drama that reimagines the setting and characters of the unique comics. The collection is basically a sequel slightly than a remake, with the story set 34 years after the occasions of the e book that examines the implications of Ozymandias’ (Jeremy Irons) actions. The collection focuses on Sister Evening/Angela Abar, performed by Regina King, a Tulsa detective who attire up as a nun to combat crime and encounters a white supremacist group known as the Seventh Kavalry. Over the course of her investigation, Angela uncovers a plot that ties collectively the previous, current, and way forward for her world.

Watchmen has been praised for its complicated and riveting characters, mature themes, and robust socio-political narrative, which led the collection to win 11 Emmy Awards, together with those for greatest lead and greatest supporting actor for King and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II respectively.Watch on Max

‘Irma Vep’ (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | IMDb: 8.2/10

In 1996, French filmmaker Olivier Assayas made the comedy-drama Irma Vep, which was critically acclaimed for its embedded narrative (film-within-a-film), the place the protagonist was performed by Maggie Cheung in a fictionalized model of herself. In 2022, Assayas returned to remake the story as a film-within-a-series that includes Alicia Vikander because the protagonist, retaining the identical plot and characters.

The collection follows Mira, a disenchanted American film star who’s vying for the position of her lifetime. She heads to France to star within the remake of the French traditional Les Vampires in a garish retake. Disillusioned by her profession, breakup, and her complicated new performing position, Mira begins to lose her grip on her actual self and her movie character, blurring her idea of fiction versus actuality. The eight-episode collection, like its predecessor film, was additionally extremely acclaimed by critics and followers alike, with particular reward for Vikander’s efficiency.Watch on Max

‘Mare of Easttown’ (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 8.4/10

As a lot we love Kate Winslet in offbeat, heart-wrenching dramas, the Titanic star is equally sensible in crime thrillers, as Mare of Easttown (2021) proves. Within the restricted crime drama collection, Winslet stars because the titular Marianne “Mare” Sheehan, a neighborhood police detective. 25 years in the past, she was a highschool basketball champion, which made her a neighborhood hero. However within the current day, she is a bitter, divorced detective who’s unable to resolve a lacking particular person case for over a yr, making the townsfolk doubt her credibility. When one other native teenager goes lacking in the identical method, Mare resolves to resolve the case at any price whereas navigating her private struggles and internal demons.

Throughout its run, Mare of Easttown had record-breaking scores, with the huge viewership reportedly crashing HBO Max community servers throughout the collection finale. The collection additionally obtained rave critiques from critics and followers alike for its tightly-knit narrative and darkish environment, to not point out Winslet’s efficiency, which earned her an Emmy and a Golden Globe.Watch on Max

‘I Could Destroy You’ (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | IMDb: 8.1/10

This British darkish comedy-drama collection comes from English author, producer, and actor Michaela Coel, who shot to fame along with her breakthrough comedy collection Chewing Gum.

Set in London, I Could Destroy You (2020) follows Coel as Arabella Essiedu, a Twitter star-turned-novelist in her 20s, who gained in a single day success along with her e book and is a celebrated millennial icon. Whereas caught on her second e book, she decides to take a break and go round city exploring the wild nightlife. However when one such journey seems to be a messy evening of blackouts, bloodshed, and blurry flashbacks, Arabella resorts to her associates, lovers, and random distractions to deal with the trauma.

The 12-part collection has been critically acclaimed for the portrayal of a lady on the sting, and for exploring topics like social media affect, racism, consent, and rape tradition, however with provocative humor that leans in the direction of the darker aspect. I Could Destroy You additionally received a number of awards, together with two BAFTAs and two Emmy Awards, each earned by Coel for performing and writing.Watch on Max

‘Over the Backyard Wall’ (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes: 93% | IMDb: 8.8/10

Patrick McHale, the creator of Journey Time and author of Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, additionally created this animated darkish fantasy collection, primarily based on his animated brief movie Tome of the Unknown. Made within the traditional rubber hose animation type, Over the Backyard Wall (2014) follows two bickering half-brothers Greg and Wirt who get misplaced in a mysterious forest. As they attempt to discover their method residence, they encounter a collection of fantastical issues and unusual characters, together with a troubled woodsman, a demanding witch, a cheeky bluebird, and an eccentric baron, whom they must study to belief for their very own good. However the two siblings should additionally be careful for the scary, hungry Beast who needs to eat the boys for his meal.

The Emmy-winning collection has been praised for its folklore-inspired narrative and the limitless creativeness of the creator, which paints the quintessential “enchanted forest” that’s filled with wonders and risks. With 10 bite-sized episodes, this animated fantasy collection looks as if a fantastic watch if you need one thing fascinating and satisfying however not too dragged out. The collection has additionally been tailored into comedian books and graphic novel collection.Watch on Max

‘Angels in America’ (2003)

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% | IMDb: 8.1/10

This 2003 collection is predicated on Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize-winning two-part stage play Angels in America: A Homosexual Fantasia on Nationwide Themes, and options Al Pacino in his first main tv position. Set in Eighties New York Metropolis, Angels in America incorporates a assortment of varied characters with intersecting lives and their tales, exploring poignant themes of the period like AIDS, the Reagan administration, and the altering socio-political local weather of America. The collection follows the tales of a number of homosexual males, every of whom is combating emotional points or medical situations like AIDS, psychological well being, heartbreak, and so forth, informed via fictional and historic characters and passionate symbolism. Formidable and gripping, this drama collection additionally boasts an ensemble solid with many A-listers of Hollywood, all of whom ship mind-blowing performances. Therefore, the 11 Emmy Awards Angels in America received had been no shock to the viewers.Watch on Max

‘I Know This A lot Is True’ (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes: 74% | IMDb: 8.1/10

If you wish to know what Mark Ruffalo has been as much as between Avengers: Endgame and She-Hulk: Lawyer at Regulation, this drama collection may very well be the suitable reply. This 2020 collection is predicated on the eponymous 1998 novel by Wally Lamb and sees the MCU star in a really completely different characterization from his different works. Set within the early Nineties, I Know This A lot is True (2020) sees Ruffalo within the double position of dual brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey. Thomas suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, with occasional episodes, whereas Dominick tries to assist him and does every part he can to get him launched from the psychological hospital.

Ruffalo’s convincing efficiency in two strikingly reverse roles on this drama earned him an Emmy Award. On the similar time, his co-stars Kathryn Hahn and Imogen Poots are equally sensible. When you like tales about folks with tough lives who nonetheless maintain onto hope, then I Know This A lot is True is simply what you’d take pleasure in. It’s touching, heartbreaking, and hopeful, all on the similar time.Watch on Max

‘The Younger Pope’ (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes: 80% | IMDb: 8.3/10

This 2016 non secular drama was the primary Italian tv collection to be nominated for an Emmy Award and stars Jude Regulation (The Gifted Mr. Ripley) because the titular pope. When Lenny Belardo, a younger cardinal from America, turns into the primary American pope in historical past, he takes the title of Pius XIII and goes on to vary the system to swimsuit his personal wants. Alongside his chief adviser and confidante Sister Mary, performed by Diane Keaton, he challenges the established traditions of the Vatican, inflicting chaos and disruption inside and outdoors the Vatican. However is he actually what he seems to be?

Although it’s billed as a drama, The Younger Pope (2016) has quite a lot of thriller parts in its plot, which slowly unfurls as you progress via the collection. Regardless of detrimental suggestions from non secular communities, the collection obtained largely optimistic critiques from the viewers for its slick, trendy visuals and intriguing drama. Initially launched as a restricted collection, The Younger Pope was adopted by a sequel collection The New Pope in 2020, with Regulation reprising his position and John Malkovich becoming a member of the solid.Watch on Max

‘The Evening Of’ (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | IMDb: 8.4/10

Assembly a stranger, partying with all of them evening, and discovering them killed the following morning is sort of a standard trope for crime thrillers. However it’s not the plot however the execution that issues, and The Evening Of (2016) does it fairly properly, as critiques say. The collection is predicated on the primary season of the British collection Prison Justice created by Peter Moffat and is in flip created by Academy Award-nominee Richard Worth and Oscar winner Steven Zaillian. British actor and rapper Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metallic) stars because the protagonist on this crime thriller, taking part in Nasir “Naz” Khan, a school scholar in Queens, New York.

One evening, Naz steals his father’s automobile and offers a raise to a mysterious girl, ending up having a wild evening of intercourse and medicines along with her. Quickly after, he wakes as much as discover the girl stabbed to loss of life, with no recollection of what occurred the previous evening. When he’s charged with the homicide of the girl, Naz should show his innocence with the assistance of his newly appointed lawyer, John Stone, performed by John Turturro. The crime drama thriller has been described as “a richly crafted, exquisitely carried out thriller” with ample rigidity that’s traditional of a great thriller, so it’s sure to maintain you hooked via its eight episodes and depart you in shock with the ultimate discovery. The Evening Of earned a number of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations and received 5 Emmy Awards, together with one for Riz Ahmed as Excellent Lead Actor in a Restricted Collection.Watch on Max

‘Chernobyl’ (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 9.3/10

The huge accident on the Chernobyl Nuclear Energy Plant occurred many years in the past, nevertheless it stays related and important to the remainder of the world. And when real-life occasions of such magnitude are captured in a narrative, it makes them extra impactful. And that is what this 2019 historic drama collection does. Based mostly on the Chernobyl catastrophe of 1986, this restricted collection explores what went down throughout one of many worst accidents within the historical past of mankind. It additionally depicts the individuals who had been concerned and who responded to the accident and what number of turned heroes as they put their lives in peril to save lots of the remainder. Chernobyl (2019) additionally options (via fictionalized characters) a number of the lesser-known individuals who had been affected by the catastrophe, just like the firefighters, first responders on the scene, volunteers, the miners, and so forth.

Whereas the precise occasion is depicted as is within the five-part collection, the creators of the present constructed a tense, dramatic environment to emphasise the graveness of the scenario, and it may be a bit laborious to look at. Nonetheless, as a piece of fiction and drama, the collection has been critically acclaimed for the performances, cinematography, precision of information, route, screenplay, and general narrative, to not point out the stellar solid that portrayed all of it. Chernobyl received a number of awards and accolades from critics and followers, together with two Golden Globe Awards and three Primetime Emmy Awards.Watch on Max

‘The Staircase’ (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 7.1/10

Ever because the State v. Peterson case first turned public information within the early 2000s, it has popped out and in of the headlines, with a number of movie and tv productions made after it. However the newest dramatization by HBO Max is a extra intense look into the crime, and everybody concerned. The Staircase (2022) follows the real-life case of American author and aspiring politician Michael Peterson, who was convicted of killing his spouse Kathleen Peterson when the latter was discovered lifeless on the backside of a staircase of their residence. Because the investigation into the case proceeds, adopted by a tumultuous authorized battle, it brings out suppressed feelings, and the buried historical past of the remainder of the relations, placing everybody’s relationships to the check. In the meantime, a group of French filmmakers takes an curiosity within the story, which additionally provides new views to the case.

Though the biographical drama collection is predicated on the award-winning true-crime documentary of the identical title by French filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, the present’s creator Antonio Campos (The Satan All of the Time) provides a sure depth to the characters, bringing out everybody’s true selves and making the story all of the extra intriguing and gripping.Watch on Max

‘Sharp Objects’ (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 8.0/10

Earlier than she turned a literary sensation for Gone Woman, novelist Gillian Flynn debuted with the novel Sharp Objects in 2006, which acquired tailored right into a tv collection in 2018. And like her different tales, the collection Sharp Objects (2018) additionally incorporates a darkish, psychological story centered on a disturbed protagonist. So, when you like Gone Woman or Darkish Locations, then Sharp Objects ought to positively be subsequent in your record (that means each the novels and their variations). The collection follows Camille Preaker, against the law reporter who returns to her hometown to report the homicide of two younger women. Camille suffers from alcoholism with a historical past of self-harm and was not too long ago launched from a psychiatric hospital. So, when she returns residence, it makes it tough for her and her household, particularly her mom, Adora, who retains pushing Camille to face her demons.

Full of suspense, thrill, crime, and thriller, this collection makes for a whole watching expertise, which is simply elevated by the sensible performances delivered by Amy Adams as Camille and Patricia Clarkson as Adora. On its launch, the eight-episode collection was extremely acclaimed for its filmmaking, narrative, tone, and performances, receiving a number of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations and a Golden Globe Award for Greatest Supporting Actress for Clarkson.Watch on Max

‘The Woman Earlier than’ (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes: 57% | IMDb: 6.6/10

When you like tales with the traditional women-in-peril trope, then The Woman Earlier than (2021) is correct on level. Nonetheless, this restricted thriller collection leans extra in the direction of the psychological angle slightly than against the law angle. The collection options Gugu Mbatha-Uncooked as Jane Cavendish, a younger, single girl who strikes into a phenomenal, minimalist residence designed by an enigmatic architect, Edward Monkford, performed by David Oyelowo. Jane falls in love with the extraordinary structure and interiors of the brand new home, however Edward has stipulated some dos and don’ts for the brand new tenant. As she continues to remain on, whereas adhering to the unusual guidelines, Jane makes a surprising discovery in regards to the earlier tenant who occupied the home earlier than her. The extra she learns, the extra unnerving it turns into for her.

The collection has ample edge-of-the-seat moments and a tense environment, accentuated by Mbatha-Uncooked’s convincing efficiency, as is normally the case with most of her roles. The Woman Earlier than is as brief as a miniseries can get, with solely 4 episodes, so it will get over earlier than the story feels dragged.Watch on Max

‘Catherine the Nice’ (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes: 68% | IMDb: 6.2/10

Is there any character Helen Mirren can’t play, and convincingly so? In fact not! That additionally consists of her position as the enduring Russian empress, Catherine II, as on this historic drama.

The four-part restricted collection follows the rise and fall of the czarina’s reign from 1764 to 1796. The plot additionally explores her affair with the Russian army chief, Grigory Potemkin, which evolves into a singular relationship between the 2 historic characters, and the way that formed the way forward for Russia. If historic legends filled with drama, scandal, and political conflicts excite you, then positively give this collection a attempt. An Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated collection, Catherine the Nice (2019) had combined critiques from critics apart from nice appreciation for Mirren’s efficiency and the grand visuals.Watch on Max

‘The Outsider’ (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes: 91% | IMDb: 7.6/10

It’s honest to say that Stephen King’s novels make for a number of the most spine-chilling thrillers horror films and collection. The Outsider (2020) is certainly one among them, as critiques have proven. This horror thriller collection is predicated on King’s eponymous novel from 2018 and has been tailored by Richard Worth, who additionally created The Evening Of (additionally on this record). Set in Georgia, The Outsider follows the grotesque homicide of a younger boy, with a suburban guardian, Terry Maitland, being accused of the homicide. When native police detective Ralph Anderson begins to analyze the case, he lands on a string of weird occasions surrounding the homicide and discovers clues that don’t appear so as to add up. Jason Bateman performs the position of Terry and Ben Mendelsohn performs Detective Anderson. Bateman additionally directs the primary two episodes of the collection.

Launched in 2020, this community authentic turned fairly in style amongst followers. Regardless of being a gradual burn, the story of The Outsider is pushed by its narrative, which blends psychological thriller, horror, crime, and drama, all elevated by wonderful performances.Watch on Max