12 Must-Watch Miniseries With Near-Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Scores

12 Must-Watch Miniseries With Near-Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Scores

Miniseries have become the gold standard for storytelling on screen.

Unlike long-running shows that sometimes lose steam, these compact dramas deliver complete, powerful narratives in just a few episodes.

When critics and audiences agree on their brilliance, you know you’re in for something truly special.

1. Watchmen (2019) – 96%

What happens when you take a beloved graphic novel and transform it into something entirely new?

You get this stunning series that doesn’t just adapt the source material—it expands it.

Set decades after the original story, it weaves together superhero action with powerful conversations about race, history, and justice.

The mystery at the heart of this show jumps between different time periods, keeping you guessing until the very end.

Every episode reveals new layers, connecting past traumas to present-day conflicts.

Watching masked vigilantes grapple with real-world issues creates a viewing experience unlike anything else on television.

2. The Night Of (2016) – 94%

One terrible night can change everything.

A college student wakes up next to a murdered woman with no memory of what happened, and suddenly his entire life spirals into chaos.

This isn’t your typical crime thriller that rushes to solve the mystery—it takes its time, showing every painful step through the legal system.

From interrogation rooms to prison cells to courtrooms, you see how the justice system can crush someone regardless of guilt or innocence.

The performances are absolutely riveting, especially watching how a scared young man transforms under the weight of accusation and incarceration.

3. Mare of Easttown (2021) – 95%

Kate Winslet disappears into the role of a small-town detective carrying the weight of unsolved cases and personal heartbreak.

Set in Pennsylvania coal country, the show captures the feeling of a community where everyone knows everyone—and everyone has secrets.

Mare isn’t some glamorous TV detective; she’s exhausted, flawed, and deeply human.

The murder mystery pulls you in immediately, but what keeps you watching is Mare herself.

She’s dealing with family drama, old wounds, and the pressure of being the person everyone expects to fix things.

The authenticity of the characters and setting makes every twist hit harder.

4. Dying for Sex (2025) – 98%

Facing death can make you rethink everything about how you’ve lived.

After receiving news that would devastate most people, the main character decides to spend her remaining time exploring desires she’d always pushed aside.

The show balances heartbreak with unexpected humor, never treating her journey as just tragic or just empowering—it’s messy and real.

What makes this series so compelling is its refusal to shy away from uncomfortable truths about mortality and intimacy.

You’ll laugh, cry, and probably question your own choices.

It’s bold television that treats difficult subjects with the complexity they deserve.

5. The Queen’s Gambit (2020) – 96%

Chess has never looked this thrilling.

Following a young orphan who discovers an extraordinary talent for the game, this series turns board moves into edge-of-your-seat drama.

The 1960s setting comes alive through gorgeous costumes and production design that makes every scene feel like a work of art.

Beyond the chess matches, the show explores addiction, loneliness, and what it costs to be exceptional at something.

Beth Harmon’s journey from troubled child to international champion is captivating because she’s brilliant but broken.

Her struggles with pills and alcohol feel painfully real, even as she conquers opponents across the globe.

6. When They See Us (2019) – 97%

Some stories are so important they demand to be told, no matter how painful.

Ava DuVernay recreates the true story of five Black and Latino teenagers wrongly convicted of a brutal crime in Central Park.

Watching their lives get destroyed by a broken system is absolutely gutting.

The series doesn’t just show what happened during the trial—it follows these young men for years, revealing how wrongful imprisonment steals futures and shatters families.

Every performance feels authentic and devastating.

This isn’t easy viewing, but it’s essential television that shines a light on injustice that still echoes today.

7. Baby Reindeer (2024) – 99%

Based on disturbing real events, this psychological thriller explores what happens when kindness gets twisted into obsession.

A struggling comedian offers a free cup of tea to a customer, and that simple act spirals into a nightmare of stalking and manipulation.

The show’s raw honesty about trauma and vulnerability makes it almost unbearably intense.

Dark humor cuts through the tension, but this isn’t a comedy—it’s a deep examination of damaged people and blurred boundaries.

You’ll feel uncomfortable, shocked, and unable to look away.

The fact that these events actually happened makes every unsettling moment hit even harder.

8. The Narrow Road to the Deep North (2025) – 100%

War leaves scars that never fully heal.

This epic miniseries follows soldiers enduring horrific conditions as prisoners of war, forced to build a railway under brutal circumstances.

The storytelling moves between timelines, showing how memories of war haunt survivors decades later.

Love, survival, and the weight of memory intertwine throughout the narrative.

The performances are devastating, and the production doesn’t shy away from showing war’s true horrors.

With a perfect 100% score, critics agree this is television at its absolute finest—challenging, heartbreaking, and unforgettable.

Every frame feels carefully crafted to honor the real people who suffered.

9. Chernobyl (2019) – 95%

April 26, 1986: a nuclear reactor explodes, and the Soviet government tries to hide the truth.

This harrowing series recreates the disaster with terrifying accuracy, showing how human error and political corruption turned a bad situation into a catastrophe.

Every detail feels meticulously researched, from the radiation burns to the bureaucratic meetings where lives were treated as expendable.

The heroes here aren’t action stars—they’re scientists, firefighters, and ordinary people trying to prevent even greater disaster.

Watching them fight against both radiation and government denial creates unbearable tension.

It’s a chilling reminder of what happens when truth becomes inconvenient.

10. Adolescence (2025) – 100%

Growing up has never been easy, but modern teenagers face pressures previous generations couldn’t imagine.

This coming-of-age drama captures the emotional chaos of adolescence with stunning honesty.

Identity, mental health, social media, family expectations—everything collides in ways that feel painfully real.

What sets this series apart is its refusal to simplify teen experiences or offer easy answers.

The characters make mistakes, hurt each other, and struggle to figure out who they are.

Adults watching will remember their own difficult years, while younger viewers will see their lives reflected on screen.

A perfect score isn’t given lightly, and this earns every bit of its praise.

11. Alias Grace (2017) – 99%

Did she do it?

That question haunts every episode of this atmospheric period drama based on Margaret Atwood’s novel.

Set in 1800s Canada, it tells the story of Grace Marks, a young servant convicted of murder.

A doctor tries to uncover the truth by examining her memories, but nothing is quite what it seems.

The series explores how society treats women, especially poor ones accused of terrible crimes.

Grace’s story unfolds through flashbacks that may or may not be reliable.

The ambiguity is intentional and masterful, leaving you to decide what you believe.

Every detail, from costumes to dialogue, feels authentically Victorian.

12. Unorthodox (2020) – 96%

Imagine leaving behind everything you’ve ever known—your family, your community, your entire way of life.

A young woman flees her arranged marriage in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, seeking freedom in Berlin.

The show handles her journey with sensitivity and depth, never judging the culture she leaves or oversimplifying her reasons for going.

Her past and present unfold side by side, showing both what she’s running from and what she’s running toward.

The pull of tradition battles against the desire for self-determination.

It’s a deeply moving exploration of identity, faith, and the courage required to choose your own path.