9 Near-Perfect Netflix Miniseries That Hook You In 10 Minutes Or Less
Adrienne Tyler is a movies & TV features writer, with a focus on horror. She has written for Netflix, FanSided, & more. She was a regular guest on the Netfreaks podcast and was a YouTuber at some point. Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once.
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Netflix has a variety of miniseries, some of them now found among the best TV shows of all time, but not all of them are so good that they will hook you in the first 10 minutes or even less. Despite now having many strong competitors, Netflix has maintained its popularity thanks to its extensive catalog of licensed content, but mostly thanks to its original content. Netflix has mostly succeeded with its TV shows, covering a variety of genres and having something for viewers of all ages.
When it comes to TV shows, Netflix has many miniseries to choose from – some that were planned to have a limited number of episodes, and others that became miniseries due to being canceled way too soon. Whatever the case, Netflix has found the best formula for a miniseries to succeed, telling engaging and solid stories in just a couple of episodes and rarely leaving loose ends or cliffhangers (unless, of course, the show was originally planned to continue in another season).
However, as mentioned above, not all of the best Netflix miniseries hook their audience in their first minutes. It takes a special talent in storytelling, a great concept, compelling characters, and great performances to catch the audience’s attention and curiosity in the first 10 minutes or less, and an even greater talent to keep viewers engaged for the rest of the show, but some shows make it look very easy.
Bodies
Eight Episodes
Bodies is a British sci-fi TV series based on Si Spencer’s graphic novel of the same name. Bodies begins with the appearance of the same body in the Whitechapel area of London, but in four different years: 1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053. Four detectives, one from each year, are assigned to the case, with their investigations ending up interlinked and leading to a disturbing discovery.
The first minutes of Bodies take the audience into two of its four time settings, showing the appearance of the body, a possible suspect, and some of the people that will end up involved in this complex case.
His & Hers
Six Episodes
Based on Alice Feeney’s 2020 novel of the same name, His & Hers introduces the audience to Anna Andrews (Tessa Thompson), a former news anchor living in isolation, who, after hearing news of a murder in her hometown, is pulled back into action. Anna returns to the town and begins to investigate, but she ends up clashing with detective Jack Harper (Jon Bernthal), her estranged husband, who is assigned to the case and begins to question her motives.
His & Hers has a strong first scene showing a young woman severely hurt and in her final moments on top of a car, followed by Anna returning to her place beaten up, nervous, and quickly throwing some stuff out. Then there’s Jack, living with his sister and niece and later arriving at the crime scene, while Ana tries to get her old job back. It perfectly sets up the struggles of each character, while already building mystery around not only the murder but Anna’s intentions.
Ripley
Eight Episodes
Ripley is a psychological thriller miniseries based on Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley. Set in 1961 New York, Ripley follows Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott), a con-man going through a rough financial time. When a wealthy man, completely unaware of Tom’s situation, hires him to convince his son, Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), to return home from Italy, Tom sees an opportunity after getting a taste of Dickie’s lifestyle, kickstarting a complex plan of fraud and murder.
Ripley wastes no time in showing that his main character can’t be trusted, and it then takes the audience six months earlier to see Tom’s situation and how he ended up involved with the Greenleaf family. In just a couple of minutes, the audience gets a taste of Tom’s modus operandi and how far he goes to deceive others.
The Midnight Gospel
Eight Episodes
The Midnight Gospel is an animated TV series created by Pendleton Ward and Duncan Trussell. The Midnight Gospel follows Clancy Gilroy, a spacecaster who, through an unlicensed multiverse simulator, travels through strange worlds on the brink of disaster, where he interviews residents. Each episode is a new trip, and they talk about different but deep topics, such as life, love, existentialism, spiritualism, death, and more.
Clancy’s interviews are derived from episodes of Trussell’s podcast The Duncan Trussell Family Hour.
The first minutes of The Midnight Gospel introduce viewers to Clancy, how his simulator works, how he chooses his destination, his interviewees, and the type of conversations they have. Of course, it also gives a taste of the show’s trippy and colorful animation, and shows why The Midnight Gospel is one of the most bingeworthy Netflix shows of all time.
The Queen’s Gambit
Seven Episodes
The Queen’s Gambit is a coming-of-age period drama miniseries based on Walter Tevis’ 1983 novel of the same name. The Queen’s Gambit takes the audience back to the 1950s and 1960s and centers on Elizabeth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), an orphan chess prodigy with a substance-use disorder who is on a quest to become an elite chess player.
The Queen’s Gambit immediately shows its audience the complexities and struggles of Elizabeth in her personal life and how these directly affect her public image and her career in chess. This, of course, is only the tip of the iceberg, as viewers will go on to see a lot more of Elizabeth’s past, present struggles, and the demons she carries.
Midnight Mass
Seven Episodes
Created by Mike Flanagan, Midnight Mass is a gothic supernatural horror miniseries. Midnight Mass follows Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford), who, after spending four years in prison for killing a woman in a drunk-driving accident, returns to his isolated hometown of Crockett Island. Riley’s return coincides with the arrival of Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater), a new, young, mysterious, but charismatic priest who revitalizes the town’s faith. However, some weird events also begin to happen in town.
Midnight Mass immediately introduces viewers to Riley, what he did, and his return to the town, but before he’s back home, it shows the audience the town, its people, and what life on Crockett Island is like, which is far from cozy and idyllic. Midnight Mass is a lot more than a horror show, and though it's a slow burn, it’s worth every minute from beginning to end.
Baby Reindeer
Seven Episodes
Created by Richard Gadd and adapted from his autobiographical one-man show, Baby Reindeer follows Donny Dunn (Gadd), an aspiring comedian who works as a bartender. One night, he offers a free cup of tea to a distressed customer named Martha (Jessica Gunning) in order to cheer her up. Donny could never have imagined this would be the beginning of a real-life nightmare, as Martha develops an unhealthy attachment to him and begins to stalk him.
Right away, Baby Reindeer shows the uncomfortable and dangerous situation Donny finds himself in, and then goes right into showing exactly how that happened. Less than 10 minutes is what it takes for Baby Reindeer to show its perfect blend of drama, black comedy, and suspense, and makes it very easy to continue watching.
Adolescence
Four Episodes
Created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, Adolescence takes the audience to a town near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, where 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) is arrested on suspicion of the murder of his classmate, Kate. Before Kate’s death, her private photos were leaked, and she rejected Jamie’s advances, turning him into a suspect. Adolescence follows Jamie and his family, mostly his father, Eddie (Stephen), as Jamie is questioned by the police, which, along with the investigation, brings to light some disturbing truths.
The first minutes of Adolescence are a masterclass in filmmaking, storytelling, and how to keep the audience hooked right away, showing Jamie’s arrest and giving very little context so the audience will continue watching.
The Haunting of Hill House
Ten Episodes
One of Netflix’s best original TV shows to date, and one of the best horror TV shows of all time, is Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House, loosely based on Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel of the same name. The Haunting of Hill House follows the Crain family: father Hugh, mother Olivia, and children Steven, Shirley, Theo, Luke, and Nell. The Crains move into the Hill House mansion to renovate it and sell it, but unexpected repairs keep them there for longer. Unfortunately, they begin to experience increasing paranormal phenomena, culminating in a tragedy.
Almost three decades later, another family tragedy forces the Crains to reunite and confront their time in Hill House, both individually and as a family. The Haunting of Hill House takes viewers into the title house right away, giving them an idea of the horrors that await the Crains and the audience, but doesn’t reveal too much to keep the suspense and mystery going.
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