7 Top Miniseries on Netflix That Critics Love, Ranked

With so much stellar programming out there, it can be tough to choose what to spend your time on. Here are seven limited series available on Netflix, certified fresh and with something for everyone.

The Stranger (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

Henry Teague is suspected of killing a teen, but cops have been frustrated in their attempts to prove their case. Finally, a police officer goes undercover to get close to Henry and try to solicit a confession. A psychological crime thriller with a creeping slow burn, The Stranger gets under your skin early and doesn't let up.

RT Critics' Consensus: 'A masterful blend of genre elements, The Stranger brings a tautly told mystery to life with simmering tension and a pair of outstanding lead performances.'

Stay Close (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

Back in 2018, Netflix struck a 14-series deal with bestselling mystery author Harlan Coben. That's right, the streamer will be adapting FOURTEEN of his books! Of the eight released so far, Stay Close has been the best reviewed by a mile.

In this mystery, four strangers live very different lives. But all of them have secrets, and as the series goes on the threads that connect them become clear. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking to catch a serial killer.

RT Critics' Consensus: 'A lightning-fast, highly binge-able thriller that works mostly by sensory overload and never quite giving a straight answer.'

Maid (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

When she escapes an abusive situation in the middle of the night, Alex (Margaret Qualley) finds a job as a maid in order to keep a roof over her child's head. Based on the memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land, this is a good choice if you like stories of people working hard and surviving against the odds.

RT Critics' Consensus: 'Maid takes great care with its sensitive subject matter to craft a drama that is not always easy to watch, but undeniably powerful.'

Transatlantic (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Inspired by the unbelievable true story of American journalist Varian Fry and the Emergency Rescue Committee, Transatlantic tells the story of Fry's work in France during WWII. In both the show and real life, she worked with the ERC to help scholars, artists, and Jews flee Nazi-occupied France and get safely to America.

RT Critics' Consensus: 'Ably dramatizing a deadly serious chapter of World War II history while also remembering to have fun, Transatlantic is a visually sumptuous throwback to classic Hollywood melodramas.'

Unorthodox (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

Born and raised in an intensely Orthodox New York Hasidic community, Esty feels tormented by the strictures of her marriage. When she runs away to Berlin, she finds freedom and friends even as she struggles to come to terms with herself. Based on the autobiography of Deborah Feldman, this was the first Netflix show where Yiddish was the primary language.

RT Critics' Consensus: 'Unorthodox adapts its source material with extreme care, crafting a series that is at once intimate and urgent.'

Unbelievable (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

Based on an upsetting true story, Unbelievable follows Marie, a rape victim who withdraws her claim after facing skepticism and badgering from the police. After her withdrawal, she is charged with making a false police report. However, two female detectives realize that her report bears an eerie resemblance to several other stories, and they set out to find the perpetrator and clear Marie's name.

RT Critics' Consensus: 'Heartbreaking and powerful, Unbelievable transcends familiar true-crime beats.'

Beef (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

Ali Wong and Steven Yeun play Danny and Amy, two professionals who are dealing with a lot of stress in their personal and work lives. All that tension boils over when they get into a fender-bender, sending both of them into a fury and prompting an increasingly over-the-top game of revenge.

RT Critics' Consensus: 'A prime cut comedy that finds the pathos in pettiness.'