Let’s be honest—committing to a long-running TV show can feel like signing a lease. Luckily, we’re living in the age of the miniseries: compact, powerful stories that wrap up in under 10 episodes. Max (formerly HBO Max) has carved out a name for itself as the go-to spot for limited series that pack emotional punch, jaw-dropping drama, and unforgettable characters. Whether you’re in the mood for heavy historical drama or a sick psychological odyssey, these miniseries are the ideal weekend binge. And yes, we’re counting down from nine to one—because saving the best for last just feels right.
9. The Penguin
Gotham has always had its darkness, but The Penguin plunges headfirst into the gloom. Colin Farrell disappears into the role of Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot in this dark, grounded crime story. Continuing from the end of The Batman, it’s a city on the brink, as Oz fights off other crime families and attempts to take over Gotham’s decaying underworld. It’s noir through and through, with violence, backroom politics, and shady truces. If slow-burning gangland epics with difficult characters are your thing, this is well worth every minute.
8. The Last of Us
More than a video game adaptation, The Last of Us is one of the greatest post-apocalyptic dramas of the last few years. It centers on a broken man and a girl who may well save the world. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey imbue their characters with depth and nuance as they traverse a world that has been turned upside down by a pandemic that feels disturbingly real. It’s half horror, half hope, and half heartbreak—evidence that even the darkest universes contain humanity.
7. Watchmen
It is not your standard superhero tale. Taking place in an alternate America and drawing heavily from real-world events, Watchmen turns the genre on its ear. Regina King heads a phenomenal cast in a story that combines masked crusaders, racial inequality, and hidden secrets. Visually breathtaking and packed with bold storytelling decisions, this nine-episode series doesn’t merely follow in the footsteps of the original comic—it fearlessly reinterprets it.
6. The Pacific
In the wake of Band of Brothers, this World War II miniseries turns its attention to the Pacific theater—and with the same impact. We experience the unvarnished, unrelenting nature of war in locations such as Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa through the eyes of three U.S. Marines. The series does not flinch from the physical and emotional cost of combat, providing a savage, close-up glimpse at the price of survival. With outstanding production and performances that are not to be forgotten, The Pacific makes an indelible impression.
5. Band of Brothers
Few programs have captured so fully the brotherhood of war as this one. Based on the true story of Easy Company, Band of Brothers takes us from D-Day landings to the end of Nazi Germany. It’s on a cinematic scale but intensely personal in mood, mixing epic battles with intimate moments of camaraderie, terror, and selflessness. Starring Damian Lewis and Ron Livingston, it’s one of the greatest war dramas of all time.
4. Mare of Easttown
Crime dramas come a dime a dozen, but Mare of Easttown is one step above the rest. In a small Pennsylvania town, it follows detective Mare Sheehan, played magnificently by Kate Winslet, as she solves a murder through the chaos of her own falling-apart life. It’s a slow-burn thriller coated with grief, secrets, and richly layered characters. The emotional baggage, great acting, and pitch-perfect writing turn it into something more than a whodunit. It’s a richly inhabited world you won’t want to leave.
3. I May Destroy You
This show doesn’t just break boundaries—it rewrites them. Written by and starring Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You is a raw, unflinching exploration of trauma, consent, and identity. Coel stars as Arabella, a writer struggling to cope with the aftermath of a sexual assault, and the story unfolds both heartbreakingly and darkly humorously. It provokes, agitates, and hovers over the entire run. With incisive writing and intimate personalising, this 12-parter is a contemporary classic.
2. Chernobyl
Tense, frightening, and appallingly accurate, Chernobyl is the sort of show that burrows under your skin. Covering the disastrous 1986 nuclear explosion, the series examines the personal and political shortcomings of the humans that resulted in one of the most devastating man-made catastrophes in history. Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, and Emily Watson lead the cast with performances you won’t soon forget, but it is the creepy atmosphere that draws you in with sly terror. It’s compelling, thoroughly researched, and unflinchingly realistic.
1. Angels in America
Leading this group is a show that mixes politics, fantasy, love, and loss into something truly magnificent. Angels in America transposes Tony Kushner’s seminal play to the small screen as a TV event like no other. In the 1980s, New York, during the peak of the AIDS epidemic, the show interweaves the lives of six characters struggling with illness, identity, and a shifting world. With powerhouse performances by Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Emma Thompson, and Jeffrey Wright, it’s powerful, poetic, and unforgettable. This six-part masterpiece is a triumph of writing, acting, and storytelling—and remains just as timely today.
Whatever your mood is, whether gritty realism, historical drama, or intelligent character studies, these miniseries have it all in full, with no cliffhangers to keep you hanging on, no filler episodes, just excellent storytelling from beginning to end. Pick up that remote control, set your schedule aside, and get ready for one great binge after the next.