10 Thrilling Miniseries That Don't Slow Down for a Single Episode

Image via HBO Published Oct 31, 2026, 1:32 PM EDT Ryan Heffernan is a Senior Writer at Collider. Storytelling has been one of his interests since an early age, with his appreciation for film and television becoming a particular interest of his during his teenage years. This passion saw Ryan graduate from the University of Canberra in 2020 with an Honours Degree in Film Production. In the years since, he has found freelance work as a videographer and editor in the Canberra region while also becoming entrenched in the city's film-making community. In addition to cinema and writing, Ryan's other major interest is sport, with him having a particular love for Australian Rules football, Formula 1, and cricket. He also has casual interests in reading, gaming, and history. Sign in to your Collider account The miniseries format has become one of the defining storytelling forms of the past decade, a perfect middle ground between the elongated narratives of long-form television and the immediate closure of film. Typically evolving over the course of anywhere from three to twelve episodes, it is unsurprising that many limited series releases opt for a slower, more methodical approach to small-screen drama, but for thrill-seeking TV fanatics, there are plenty of options available to satiate the appetite for frenetic, propulsive excitement. Ranging from high-octane true crime dramas to harrowing horrors, sci-fi stunners, and even historical epics, these miniseries deliver fast-paced ferocity throughout the entirety of their tenures. Some stand among the greatest limited series television has ever seen; others are underrated gems that deserve far more attention. All of them are perfect for audiences looking for something more manic from their miniseries. 10 'Bodyguard' (2018) Image via BBC It’s one thing to not waste an episode in pursuit of high-octane thrills, but Bodyguard doesn’t waste a single second, with the series opening with a pulsating one-take sequence following David Budd (Richard Madden) as he thwarts a suicide bomber’s attempt to attack a train. From there, the six-part series is a procession of invigorating tension as the war veteran-turned-bodyguard wrestles with his personal beliefs and professional duty when he is assigned to protect Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes), whose political ideals he despises. Written by British TV veteran Jed Mercurio, Bodyguard handles its character drama expertly, but its true appeal resides in its breathtaking set pieces that unfurl as agonizing, real-time sequences executed with intelligence and astonishing filmmaking. It strikes a perfect balance between the ambitious action scenes and the rapid-fire plotting working in perfect harmony, each servicing the other to deliver an engrossing spectacle of espionage thrills defined by its mayhem and momentum. 9 'Show Me a Hero' (2015) Image via HBO Based on Lisa Belkin’s fascinating nonfiction book of the same name, and brought to the screen by David Simon and William F. Zorzi—key creative figures behind The Wire—Show Me a Hero is a gripping exploration of political bureaucracy, racism, and societal resistance as it depicts the struggle to execute a low-income housing plan that would effectively end segregation. The six-episode miniseries doesn’t necessarily run as a rapid-fire thriller, but its ambition to follow several character arcs simultaneously gives it both momentum and gravitas. In seeing how white middle-class Yonkers residents resist the housing projects, the arduous lifestyles of those most in need of low-income housing, and Mayor Nick Wasicsko’s (Oscar Isaac) impossible battle to please both the public and his colleagues, Show Me a Hero captures a sense of monumental, ever-expanding enormity. Complimented by its cutting realism and outstanding performances, it makes for a criminally underrated masterpiece of political drama that balances glimmers of hope against crushing tragedy magnificently. 8 'Sharp Objects' (2018) Image via HBO Based on Gillian Flynn's novel, Sharp Objects follows journalist Camille Preaker (Amy Adams) as she returns to her Missouri hometown to investigate the murders of two young girls. The assignment forces Camille back into the orbit of her mother, Adora (Patricia Clarkson), a controlling and unpredictable woman. She also encounters her volatile half-sister Amma (Eliza Scanlen), all while dealing with old memories and unresolved trauma. Sharp Objects is deliberately atmospheric. Each episode adds new suspicions and unsettling details that reveal more about the protagonist's past. By the time the story reaches its final revelations, Sharp Objects has transformed into a deeply personal thriller — and disturbing crime story — that keeps tightening its grip until the very end. 7 'The Haunting of Hill House' (2018) Image via Netflix Mike Flanagan has been a spearhead of small-screen horror over the past decade, with his collaborations with Netflix making for some of the greatest miniseries the genre has seen. Chief among them is The Haunting of Hill House, a bold, modernized adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s novel that explores both the harrowing paranormal experiences the children of the Crain family endure in their time at Hill House and, years later, how their traumatizing past impacts their adult lives. Brilliantly shifting between the two timelines, The Haunting of Hill House holds a sense of constant angst as it revels in the chilling, unsettling ghostliness of the Crain siblings’ childhoods and the simmering character drama that unfolds as the death of their sister sees them reunite. What makes the miniseries so relentlessly thrilling is its ability to load its horror with symbolism and meaning, ensuring every startling fright isn’t merely a jolt to the senses, but an unveiling of bleak hidden depths within each of the characters as well. 6 'State of Play' (2003) Image via BBC One Blending together elements of murder mystery, political drama, and commentary on journalism and the media machine, State of Play is an overlooked gem of early 2000s British television that feels even more relevant today than it did in ’03. Complimented by an all-star cast, it unfolds as reporters for a London-based newspaper begin to look into rising MP Stephen Collins (David Morrissey) when their investigation into the killing of a 15-year-old drug dealer unearths a surprising link to the death of one of the MP’s political researchers. The series excels as a seamless marriage of writing, directing, and acting; State of Play immerses viewers in the frantic chaos of the newsroom. Mark Day’s BAFTA Award-winning editing is instrumental in this regard as well, conjuring a hostile atmosphere of heart-racing hysteria as the series shifts between the newsroom floor, intense phone calls, street chases, and political offices at breakneck speed. Collider Exclusive · 8 Questions · 2 Minutes Which Netflix Character Would Be Your Best Friend? Dustin · Emily · Wednesday · Gi-hun Some friends drag you out of the house. Some sit with you on the worst night of your life. Netflix has written both, plus the one who tells you the truth you have been avoiding all week. Answer eight quick questions about how you actually do friendship, and find out which of them was always going to end up in your corner. 🧢Dustin(Stranger Things) 🗼Emily(Emily in Paris) 🕷️Wednesday(Wednesday) 🟢Gi-hun(Squid Game) FIND YOUR BEST FRIEND → 01 How do you usually end up making a new friend? The origin story says a lot about the friendship that follows it. AWe got loud about the same obsession and never stopped. BThey invited me somewhere before we had properly met. CWe bonded over disliking exactly the same thing. DThey noticed I was struggling and stayed with me. NEXT QUESTION → 02 What is a perfect Saturday with your best friend? Friendship is mostly built out of very ordinary hours. AA ridiculous plan neither of us should attempt. BSomewhere new, photographed heavily, ending very late. CSomewhere quiet, few people, zero small talk. DSomething simple, and a conversation that actually matters. NEXT QUESTION → 03 You call them at two in the morning. What happens? This is the real test of a friendship, and everybody knows it. AThey are already putting their shoes on. BThey answer instantly and turn it into a plan. CThey answer and say something unflattering and true. DThey listen for an hour and never check the time. NEXT QUESTION → 04 What do you want from them when you are clearly wrong? The best friendships are the ones that survive being corrected. ASupport first. We can review the mistake later. BA relentlessly positive reframe of the entire disaster. CThe blunt version. Do not soften it for me. DPatience, and no judgment about how I got here. NEXT QUESTION → 05 What do your friends actually value about you? The friend you attract says something about the friend you are. AI am all in, always, about everything. BI can turn almost any situation into a good time. CI say the thing nobody else in the room will. DI look after whoever is having the worst day. NEXT QUESTION → 06 You have a falling out. How does it go? How a friendship repairs itself matters more than how it breaks. ALoudly, briefly, then back to normal by Tuesday. BThey apologise first, enthusiastically, with a gift. CCold silence, then one dry joke that fixes everything. DWe talk until we both understand what actually happened. NEXT QUESTION → 07 What do you actually need a best friend for? Everybody is missing something. The right friend fills that gap. ATo make my life bigger than it would be alone. BTo push me out of the house and into my own life. CTo catch me when I start lying to myself. DTo be the person who never gave up on me. NEXT QUESTION → 08 Ten years from now, what keeps the two of you close? Eight questions in, this is the one that decides who you get. AWe would still drop everything for each other, instantly. BWe still make plans, and we still actually go. CWe still cut through each other's nonsense in one sentence. DThey stood by me once when it cost them something. REVEAL MY BEST FRIEND → The Group Chat Has Spoken Your Best Friend Is…Four Netflix characters, four completely different ways of showing up for somebody. This is the one who fits how you actually do friendship, and what having them in your life would be like. Dustin HendersonYou do not do friendship at half volume, and neither does he. What you want is somebody who says yes to the plan before you have finished describing the plan. Dustin is the friend the entire show runs on: loyal past the point of sense, enthusiastic about everything, and incapable of leaving anybody behind. You have the same instinct. Your friendships are loud, specific and slightly ridiculous, and they last for decades because of it. He is also the one person who would take your strangest interest completely seriously, which is far rarer than it sounds. You would have a group chat. It would never once be quiet. Emily CooperYou are the friend who makes things happen, and so is she. Together you would be mildly exhausting to everyone around you and completely delighted with yourselves. Emily treats an ordinary Tuesday as something that could be turned into an occasion, which is either the best or the worst quality in a friend depending on your energy levels. You share her refusal to sit still. Neither of you has ever accepted a night in when something was happening somewhere else. She is far more loyal than people give her credit for. She defends her friends loudly, publicly, and occasionally before checking the facts. She would post the photo without asking. You would forgive her, because it is a very good photo. Wednesday AddamsYou have no patience for pleasant lies, and she has no ability to tell them. What looks like coldness from the outside is the most reliable friendship on this list. Wednesday never says a kind thing she does not mean, which makes the rare ones count for an enormous amount. You would rather be told the truth than be made comfortable. She is constitutionally incapable of offering you anything else. Underneath all of it she is ferociously protective. She simply refuses to make a performance out of caring. Do not expect a birthday message. Do expect her to ruin anyone who wrongs you. Seong Gi-hunYou look after whoever is having the worst day. So does he. It is the least strategic way to move through the world and the best possible quality in a friend. Gi-hun is not the strongest player in Squid Game, or the cleverest. He is the one who keeps choosing to protect somebody else, over and over, at genuine cost to himself. You have the same instinct. You notice who is struggling and you stay with them, long after anybody would blame you for leaving. He is a flawed friend, and that is part of why it lands. He lets people down, then comes back and tries again, which is more than most manage. He would give you his last chance and never once mention that he had done it. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ 5 '11.22.63' (2016) Image via Hulu With just 10 episodes to adapt Stephen King’s 850-page novel, 11.22.63 makes brilliant decisions that capture the essence of the source material while shifting it away from a nostalgic, character-driven drama towards manic sci-fi thrills. That being said, it still adheres to the DNA of King’s story, following an English teacher as he is sent back in time to 1960 and persuaded to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy. While he initially sets up a fake life to avoid suspicion, his personal comfort soon begins to interfere with his objective. Whereas the novel emphasizes the lifestyle Jake (James Franco) becomes transfixed by, the miniseries leans more into the story’s appetite for suspense, taking a particular interest in clock-ticking suspense, double-life conniving, and dramatic plot twists. Bolstered by its fascinating historical setting and its clever spin on one of the most significant moments in American culture, 11.22.63 is an exciting, frenetic, and pulsating sci-fi thriller that starts strong and never lets up throughout its 10-episode run. 4 'Baby Reindeer' (2024) Image via Netflix Blending together poignant character drama with a striking sense of black comedy, Baby Reindeer emerged as one of the more shocking and absorbing miniseries of the 2020s so far. Based on a gobsmacking true story experienced by creator, writer, and star Richard Gadd, it follows an aspiring comedian whose display of compassion towards an upset woman ignites a confronting stalker case. As Donny’s career on the stage begins to flourish, Martha’s (Jessica Gunning) obsessive following of him grows increasingly intense, forcing him to confront his buried traumas while struggling with feelings of fear, revulsion, and empathy for his stalker. The story’s mounting suspense and dread are brilliantly supported by claustrophobic cinematography, frenzied editing, and a pervasive sense of unpredictability that makes every episode an anxiety-inducing masterclass in emotional drama and cynical hilarity. The seven-episode miniseries originally featured a slower, more distanced eighth episode at Netflix’s behest to allow for a break in the story, but Gadd viewed its inclusion as being a momentum-sapping departure from the narrative and opted to omit it, allowing the whole series to flow as one unflinching social thriller layered with sympathy and pathos. 3 'Blue Murder' (1995) Image via Australian Broadcasting Corporation Given it features just two episodes, it may not seem like an almighty feat that Blue Murder proceeds at such a frenzied pace, but the Australian crime series’ unrelenting nature and shocking true-story basis make it one of the most thrilling and underrated miniseries of all time. It dramatizes the career of Roger Rogerson (Richard Roxburgh), a detective in Sydney in the ‘70s and ‘80s whose corrupt dealings with organized crime figures—and the murders he committed to keep the truth concealed—led to one of the most infamous chapters of unlawful policing in Australian history. The series demands a rapid tempo as it condenses over a decade of criminal activity into just 198 minutes of drama, a feat made both easier and incredibly compelling with director Michael Jenkins’ patterned visual style and editorial rhythm that borrows heavily from Martin Scorsese. Blue Murder’s endeavor to analyze Rogerson’s crimes from multiple perspectives also imbues it with an energized gravitas, allowing the chaos of everything from gangland shootings to the attempted assassination of an undercover officer to unfurl with a shocking sense of scope that illuminates the reach and power of police corruption. 2 'We Own This City' (2022) Image via HBO Another underappreciated true-crime series from the creative forces behind The Wire, We Own This City delivers a piercing story of police corruption and institutional rot. Based on Justin Fenton’s book, it is framed as an FBI investigation into the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force, particularly the conduct of Sgt. Wayne Jenkins (Jon Bernthal), whose command of the unit escalates its unlawful methods that include falsifying police reports, planting evidence, and profiting from street crime. While some viewed it as being overly elaborate, We Own This City’s volatile, non-linear narrative structure sees the six-episode arc maintain an engrossing sense of momentum as it explores Jenkins’ rise in the BPD, the height of his criminal actions, and the eventual charges that were brought against eight officers. This complexity is only compounded by the series’ interest in the ineffective failure of America’s War on Drugs, the reasons why systemic corruption is so difficult to combat, and the use of the social outrage surrounding the Freddie Gray killing to analyze the broken and distrustful relationship between police and the public. 1 'Chernobyl' (2019) Image via HBO With just five episodes, Chernobyl explores the complete aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster of 1986, covering the agony suffered by the first responders who were tragically oblivious to what they were walking into, the extensive efforts to contain the radiation being emitted from the reactor meltdown, and the eventual political repercussions that befell the leaders of the Soviet Union. The only way it can achieve this with the utter perfection that it does is to combine its all-encompassing scope with a gripping, unrelenting tempo that descends into one nightmarish truth after another. While the likes of Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, and Emily Watson emerge as the miniseries’ leads, Chernobyl’s ability to shift between a plethora of first-person perspectives without ever yielding the invisible terror that is the ever-present threat of radiation. Whether it’s honoring the many heroes who sacrificed their livelihoods to do their bit in containing the devastation, or skewering the political conniving and deceit that endangered the lives of millions of people across Europe, Chernobyl delivers a relentless, often sickeningly thrilling viewing experience that stands as one of the greatest miniseries ever made. Chernobyl Release Date 2019 - 2019 Network HBO