Television fiction manifests itself in various ways and one of the most accessible are miniseries, since they present a closed story over a handful of episodes. Therefore, they are a perfect option for those looking to see something without running the risk of it going on forever.
Today in Espinof it’s time to make a stop at the 13 best Netflix miniseries. It is true that the platform has not been active for that long, but its volume of productions is very high, so there are enough titles that are very worthwhile. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you miss some pretty good works like ‘Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’, but at some point you had to set the limit.
I remind you that at Espinof we also have a review of the best HBO miniseries and another of the best miniseries of 2022. In addition, you can also take a look at our list of the best Netflix series of 2022 and the list of the best Netflix movies of 2022. Without further ado, let’s go with today’s chosen ones:
‘Godless’ (2017)
Creada por Scott Frank. Reparto: Jack O’Connell, Michelle Dockery, Scoot McNairy, Merritt Wever, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Tantoo Cardinal, Kim Coates, Sam Waterston, Jeff Daniels
Something currently forgotten -I confess that I had it pending and I did not dare to see it until I had to make this list-, it is the first miniseries of the creator of ‘Gambito de dama’ for Netflix in which he opted for the western to tell us a revenge story perhaps very traditional but also very captivating with a striking setting due to the existence of this town led by women. With a superb job of setting and a perfectly chosen cast -personally I feel a weakness for that peculiar villain who thinks he knows how and when he is going to die played by Jeff Daniels.
‘The Haunting of Hill House’ (‘The Haunting of Hill House’, 2018)
Creada por Mike Flanagan. Reparto: Michiel Huisman, Elizabeth Reaser, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Kate Siegel, Victoria Pedretti, Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, Timothy Hutton
Free adaptation of the novel by Shirley Jackson with which Mike Flanagan showed that he had a lot to contribute to the television medium. The resource of the haunted houses is used here to investigate the drama created in the main family, brilliantly shining in the use of the narrative structure in two different times and also when it focuses its attention on one of its main characters, all of them very well outlined both from the script and in the interpretive.
‘This is how they see us’ (‘When They See Us’, 2019)
Creada por Ava DuVernay. Reparto: Asante Blackk, Caleel Harris, Ethan Herisse, Jharrel Jerome, Marquis Rodriguez, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Justin Cunningham, Freddy Miyares, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Kylie Bunbury, Aunjanue Ellis, Vera Farmiga, Felicity Huffman, John Leguizamo, Niecy Nash, Michael K. Williams
An advocacy miniseries based on a scandalous true story of a group of teenagers who were accused of a rape they didn’t commit. Intense and intimate at the same time, she has no problem showing the less friendly side of the police, but always keeping a firm and emotional focus to explore all the possibilities of what happened.
‘Creedme’ (‘Unbelievable’, 2019)
Creada por Susannah Grant, Ayelet Waldman, Michael Chabon. Reparto: Toni Collette, Merritt Wever, Kaitlyn Dever
A powerful work based on true events that delves into the drama that is for a victim of sexual assault when his word is questioned. Exceptional performance by Kaitlyn Dever in the part focused on her character, but also watch out for the great chemistry that Toni Collette and Merrit Wever have as two police officers with opposite personalities and methods.
‘The Curse of Bly Manor’ (‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’, 2020)
Creada por Mike Flanagan. Reparto: Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Amelia Eve, T’Nia Miller, Rahul Kohli, Tahirah Sharif, Amelie Bea Smith, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Henry Thomas,
A supernatural drama based on several works by Henry James that can perhaps become somewhat repetitive in the central part when developing its characters, but it has a more classic touch that lets the story breathe and ends up giving the chest in its final stretch. Plus, it has a couple of particularly inspired episodes that make up for the others where it might not really push things.
‘Queen’s Gambit’ (‘The Queen’s Gambit’, 2020)
Creada por Scott Frank y Allan Scott. Reparto: Anya Taylor-Joy, Bill Camp, Moses Ingram, Isla Johnston, Christiane Seidel, Rebecca Root, Chloe Pirrie, Akemnji Ndifornyen, Marielle Heller, Harry Melling, Patrick Kennedy, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Marcin Dorocinski
Definitive confirmation that Anya Taylor-Joy is going to be one of the great Hollywood stars of the coming years, since it is true that everything that surrounds it works very well -to the point of causing a small chess boom!- , but when it comes down to it, she is the one who takes everything to another level.
‘The Serpent’ (‘The Serpent’, 2021)
Creada por Mammoth Screen. Reparto: Tahar Rahim, Jenna Coleman, Billy Howle, Ellie Bamber, Amesh Edireweera, Tim McInnerny, Dasha Nekrasova, Mathilde Warnier
A co-production with the BBC about the fascinating true case of Charles Sohbraj with enough courage and personality to stand out from other similar proposals. The meticulous work of setting, the wonderful work of his cast, especially Tahar Rahim , and the very strength of the story more than compensate for small slips in the narrative.
‘New cherry flavor’ (‘Brand New Cherry Flavor’, 2021)
Created by Nick Antosca and Lenore Zion. Cast : Rosa Salazar, Catherine Keener, Eric Lange, Manny Jacinto, Jeff Ward
Partial adaptation of the novel that shines for being unique in every way, both in the story it presents and how it develops up to the peculiar atmosphere it achieves. In addition, it balances her terrifying nature very well with a more dramatic component and Rosa Salazar gives herself body and soul to a character that could have been ridiculous and that here hypnotizes from the first moment.
‘Midnight Mass’ (‘Midnight Mass’, 2021)
Creada por Mike Flanagan. Reparto: Zach Gilford, Kate Siegel, Hamish Linklater, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli, Kristin Lehman, Henry Thomas
The best Netflix miniseries to date is a Mike Flanagan dream project that had a hard time pulling it off. Here we have an adult drama about a community marked by grief that is shaken by the appearance of a supernatural element that causes everything to change. With a great job of setting, a measured pace and a great job of its cast, it is an absorbing work where everything falls into place.
‘Maid’ (‘Maid’, 2021)
Creada por Molly Smith Metzler. Reparto: Margaret Qualley, Nick Robinson, Anika Noni Rose, Tracy Vilar, Billy Burke, Andie MacDowell
One of the great surprises of 2021, as it reached the platform without making noise and then had impressive success. Her best weapon is the sensational performance of Margaret Qualley, who manages to capture the viewer and emotionally involve us in the difficult process that her character goes through.
‘The time I give you’ (2021)
Created by Nadia de Santiago, Ines Pintor Sierra and Pablo Santidrian. Distribution. Nadia de Santiago, Alvaro Cervantes, David Castillo, Marivi Carrillo, Cala Zavaleta, Julian Villagran
The only Spanish contribution to the list is an exploration of the process of overcoming a break. All this from a disarming simplicity but without betting on the simple at any time. In addition, it makes very good use of the peculiar narrative structure that it presents and its two protagonists are most convincing.
‘Who is Anna?’ (‘Inventing Anna’, 2022)
Creada por Shonda Rhimes. Reparto: Anna Chlumsky, Julia Garner, Arian Moayed, Katie Lowes, Alexis Floyd, Anders Holm, Anna Deavere Smith, Jeff Perry, Terry Kinney, Laverne Cox
Wonderful adaptation of the real case of Anna Sorokin -although there were a few changes- that benefited from both the great interpretation of Julia Garner and a balanced script that makes good use of the secondary characters to solve the mystery surrounding the protagonist of the function.
‘From within’ (‘Inside Man’, 2022)
Creada por Steven Moffat. Reparto: David Tennant, Stanley Tucci, Dolly Wells, Lydia West, Lyndsey Marshal, Dylan Baker, Atkins Estimond, Louis Oliver, Eke Chukwu
The second co-production with the BBC on the list has only 4 episodes, but in them it has time to mix two very different plot lines together. For my part, everything related to that murderous counselor played by Stanley Tucci interests me much more, but the concatenation of bad decisions of the part led by an also great David Tennant also engages his.
