7 Greatest Netflix Miniseries That Are Worth Watching Over and Over
Christine is a freelance writer for Collider with two decades of experience covering all types of TV shows and movies spanning every genre. With a particular affinity for dramas, true crime, sitcoms, and thrillers, if it's a top TV show, Christine has likely watched it and is eager to share her thoughts. When she's not furiously writing away, you can find her enjoying the next binge obsession with a glass of wine in front of the TV.
Sign in to your Collider account
Content Warning: This list contains a brief mention of sexual assault.There's no question that Netflix has some fantastic miniseries, from Bodyguard to Bodies. But there are two types of great ones: ones you want to watch, let them sit with you, talk to others about them, and move on to the next. Others, however, call for a second watch. It might be to catch things you missed or view the story from a different perspective now that you know how it ends.
Whatever the reason, a handful of Netflix miniseries fall into the latter category, though for differing reasons. Interestingly, five of the six are powerful, heavy stories. But that's why watching them when you're in different frames of mind could cause you to see the stories in a different light.
'Midnight Mass' (2021)
There are a lot of "WTF" moments in Midnight Mass, especially if you go in without knowing what it's about. I watched after already knowing the big twist, but I can imagine that those who were thrown for a loop would want to go back and pick up on missed clues. The Gothic supernatural horror miniseries stars Zach Gilford as Riley Flynn, a young man struggling to acclimate to life in his small town after spending time in prison. Desperate to maintain his sobriety and find purpose, he is approached by the town's mysterious new priest, Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater).
The story in arguably the best Mike Flanagan TV show goes from small-town mundane life to scary religious story. Father Paul, it seems, is not your average man. And the reasons he gave for taking over for the town's long-time priest, Monsignor Pruitt, aren't exactly as he explained. The story heavily explores religious themes, including the idea of fanatical religion. It's a serious topic, and you may see things differently on a re-watch. Outside of that, Midnight Mass is thrilling with bumps in the night, creepy moments, and fantastically nuanced and emotional performances.
'Unorthodox' (2019)
Unorthodox is an emotional tale of hope, and with just four episodes, it's an easy binge a second or third time around. Esty Shapiro (Shira Haas) is a young Jewish woman living in a strict Orthodox community in Brooklyn. She yearns for more, and though she is newly married to a man her family picked for her, and learns she is pregnant, she realizes there's no time like the present to escape and explore a secular lifestyle. So, she runs.
The story in this German drama, told in a mix of English, Yiddish, and German, follows both Esty's journey to self-discovery and the panic of her family members, including her husband Yaakov (Amit Rahav) to find her and bring her home, at all costs. It's a relatable story for anyone who has ever felt oppressed by their strict upbringing, whether by religious beliefs or something else. Knowing it's inspired by the true story of Deborah Feldman makes Unorthodox all the more impactful. For something uplifting that depicts a courageous woman at the center of the plot, Unorthodox will make you feel the same satisfying sense of relief every single time you watch.
'Adolescence' (2025)
Adolescence should come with a warning, because if you go into it like I did, just hearing from someone that you should watch without much context as to why, your jaw will be on the floor. That will happen again and again, no matter how often you watch the nearly perfect miniseries. But each time, you'll get something more out of it. The story in the psychological crime drama is that 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) is arrested for the murder of a schoolmate. His parents are confused and horrified as they follow their son to the precinct for questioning. When they hear a story and see supposed evidence, it rocks them to their core.
The story continues to explore Jamie's journey as he sits with forensic psychologist Briony Ariston (Erin Doherty) and his parents, Eddie (Stephen Graham) and Manda (Christine Tremarco), do their best to continue on while dealing with the aftermath of this heinous crime. The episodes are hard to watch, every one of them filmed in a single take without anything but dialogue to drive them. Once you get over the initial shock, you'll want to listen carefully to the words, the guilt, the tone, in every scene to truly understand the damage that social media can have on young minds, and the impact on their loved ones. It's not a show that's just so good, it's worth watching again and again. It's one you'll want to watch again with your own teens, even the whole family, and use it as a point of discussion about difficult topics. Adolescence isn't about guilt or innocence, it's an examination of cyberbullying, the internet, and the manosphere in a way that seems almost too raw and real to be fiction.
'Baby Reindeer' (2024)
Another show with high shock value, Baby Reindeer takes you on a journey with Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd) in a story purportedly based on Gadd's own experiences. There are two major things he's dealing with. A woman becomes obsessed with him after he's flirty at the bar where he works, and she relentlessly stalks him. He's also a struggling comedian looking to make it big and is taken advantage of by a TV writer. All the while, he's struggling with his own sexuality.
Once you get through the seven episodes, you may want to re-watch to dive into each separate story again. You'll want to try and view things through Donny's lens and those of other characters, like his parents, his transgender girlfriend Teri (Nava Mau), and even Martha (Jessica Gunning). Seeing all the moments that led to Donny's emotional breakdown hit harder the second time around as well. The third time? You'll still be grabbing for tissues.
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)
01
How do you usually end up making a new friend? The origin story says a lot about the friendship that follows it.
02
What is a perfect Saturday with your best friend? Friendship is mostly built out of very ordinary hours.
03
You call them at two in the morning. What happens? This is the real test of a friendship, and everybody knows it.
04
What do you want from them when you are clearly wrong? The best friendships are the ones that survive being corrected.
05
What do your friends actually value about you? The friend you attract says something about the friend you are.
06
You have a falling out. How does it go? How a friendship repairs itself matters more than how it breaks.
07
What do you actually need a best friend for? Everybody is missing something. The right friend fills that gap.
08
Ten years from now, what keeps the two of you close? Eight questions in, this is the one that decides who you get.
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 Henderson
You 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 Cooper
You 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 Addams
You 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-hun
You 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.
'The Queen's Gambit' (2020)
A story of hope, perseverance, and rising above, you might be able to watch The Queen's Gambit now with a clearer lens versus the one masked by COVID-19 stay-at-home orders when it first came out. And you will thoroughly enjoy the story through all seven episodes of the coming-of-age period drama. Set in the 1950s and based on the Walter Tevis novel, Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) is a young orphan who discovers that she's a chess prodigy.
The show that makes for a perfect weekend binge follows Beth's rise up the ranks in the chess world while simultaneously dealing with her addiction to both drugs and alcohol. While Beth is proving herself a worthy player against all these men, she's also learning about her own worth as a person. The drugs that help her visualize the moves are a metaphor for the insecurities that hold Beth back and make her doubt her own abilities. It's a beautiful story of redemption and a young woman coming into her own, overcoming obstacles and fighting for her place.
'When They See Us' (2019)
In 1989, five Black and Latino young men were charged with the rape and assault of a young woman in Central Park. But years later, the convictions were all overturned when another man confessed to the crime. If you know the story of the Central Park Five, you may have been interested in watching this crime drama. If you didn't, the four episodes of When They See Us will walk you through everything. As a Netflix miniseries that will hook you in the first five minutes, you won't be able to resist binging your way through the entire thing. It's a gripping retelling of a story that rocked a city and country and continues to be talked about and sadly relevant to this day.
As one of the most talked about cases of wrongful conviction, The Central Park Five case, and in relation to this show, is a powerful commentary on racism and racial profiling. It doesn't get any easier to watch a second or third time around, especially knowing that When They See Us is inspired by real life events and real people deeply hurt by accusations at such tender, young ages. The powerful performances from the lead actors and the poignant messaging are worth exploring again and again, opening eyes to a terrible injustice that continues to repeat.
'One Day' (2024)
Looking for something lighter? Classic rom-coms are one of the most rewatchable genres, and while One Day, a romantic drama, hasn't been around long enough to be considered a classic, it may very well become one a decade or two from now. The lovely story in the romantic drama follows Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) and Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall) through 14 years of ups and downs in their relationship.
Based on the David Nicholls novel as well as the 2011 film adaptation, One Day is 14 episodes long, but it's the perfect binge when you're feeling romantic, even lonely. It will satiate your desire for an emotional, sweet, and well-delivered romantic drama that spans a decade and-a-half of time. It takes you on a long yet digestible journey through this likable couple's time together.
One Day
- Release Date
- 2024 - 2024-00-00
- Directors
- Molly Manners
- Writers
- David Nicholls
-
Leo Woodall
-
Ambika Mod
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.