Plenty of miniseries out there are great, buthow many can we call masterpieces? This is often subjective and sometimes people might disagree, but if you had to choose ten,it would be shows that critics and wider audiences agreed on. What really hits the spot, though, is an exciting, gut-wrenching thriller miniseries, because you know the excitement and atmosphere are tightly packed and ready to impress.
The tenthrillerminiseries that can be called masterpieces have one or all of these: a great premise, a tightly written script, unparalleled tension, and a human story that punches you in the gut at the very end.These ten have most of those elements and can be called perfectif you give them a chance.
10’Nine Puzzles' (2025)
Starring Kim Da-mi and Son Suk-ku
If you’re scrolling through Disney these days but have a hard time picking something to watch, search forNine Puzzles, a South Korean mystery thriller. The show consists of 11 exciting episodes andweaves dark, psychological topics, focusing in particular on memoriesand how the mind can erase them amid trauma. You’ll get attached to the actors, especially the brilliantSon Suk-ku, who plays brooding detectives better than anyone;Kim Da-mi’s Ena will also charm you with her great profiling skills and quirky personality. The rest of the cast is also quite famous (Squid Game’sPark Gyu-youngandRoh Jae-wonare just two), and they’re all great.
Nine Puzzlesfollows criminal profiler Yoon Ena, whose uncle was killed in their family home when she was a high schooler. At the crime scene, she found a puzzle piece and held onto it; a decade later, another crime with a puzzle piece that goes with the first one happens, and Ena believes they’re connected.Ena and Detective Kim (Son) join forces to find the elusive killerand bond while trying to figure out the case. The plot twist is awesome and unexpected, and the production value of the series is high; a very good show overall, with a great murder mystery at its core.
9’Ripley' (2024)
Starring Andrew Scott and Dakota Fanning
Ripleywas based onPatricia Highsmith’sThe Talented Mr. Ripley, the first of a series of novels about conman Tom Ripley. The showrunners were innovative in their creation,using black-and-white cinematography to evoke a Hitchcockian feeland an artful and methodical pace. This visually stunning show is more than that, though;Andrew Scottstars as the titular Ripleyand performs beautifully. He’s captivating and charming, so we completely understand how he’s a successful con artist. Next to him,Dakota Fanningstuns as Marge Sherwood.
Ripleyfollows Tom Ripley, a charming conman who sneaks his way into the lives of the wealthy and manipulates his way to power. When his task becomes to convince a wealthy man’s son to return home, Ripley gets dragged into his lavish lifestyle, and things take a bad turn.The show encapsulates a neo-noir feel with psychological thriller vibes, and it’s just plain good; don’t be deterred by the black-and-white—enjoy and embrace it, as it contributes to the thriller vibe perfectly.
8’Bodies' (2023)
Starring Stephen Graham and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd
Bodiesisan underrated thrillerthat deserves several rewatches due to its complex time-travel premise and attention to detail. This miniseries wasadapted from a DC Vertigo graphic novel of the same name, and it’s one of those adaptations that deserves recognition for honoring the source material well.Bodies, in essence, is a genre-bending crime/sci-fi thriller with strong performances, ambitious storytelling, and layered timelines, keeping viewers guessing while connecting (with) its protagonists.
Bodiesfollows four detectives across different time periods—1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053—who discover the same body in Longharvest Lane in Whitechapel, London. This event triggers a vast conspiracy that spans centuries, showing us who the body is and how the four detectives are connected. Actors includeStephen Graham,Jacob Fortune-Lloyd,Kyle Soller, andShira Haas, and they’re all amazing; you may even find yourself picking favorites among the detectives, like some of us have picked Fortune-Lloyd’s relentless and charming Charles.
7’American Primeval' (2025)
Starring Betty Gilpin and Taylor Kitsch
IfThe RevenantmetDeadwood, and they had a child, it would look likePeter Berg’sAmerican Primeval. The show was highly anticipated, but somehow the hype ended with a fizzle rather than a bang, which is disappointing, consideringthe show is pretty great, though gritty, and often verydark, moody, and raw. Can’t imagine life in the Wild West being any more glamorous and exciting than that, so it, most of all, feels realistic, even if we weren’t there. The Western aesthetics meeting existential themes makeAmerican Primevala unique thriller.
American Primevalis a gritty exploration of early American frontier life, centering on several characters who meet along the way, from widow Sarah Holloway (Betty Gilpin), on the run with her son and founder of a trading post, Jim Bridger (Shea Wigham), to a loner mountain man, Isaac Reed (Taylor Kitsch) and a religious leader, Brigham Young (Kim Coates). Themain themes are survival and redemption, showing people willing to go to great lengthsto keep going. Kitsch shines in a role that feels brutal and intimate, and it’s one of his best performances thus far.
American Primeval
6’Mare of Easttown' (2021)
Starring Kate Winslet and Jean Smart
Mare of Easttownis a slow-burning series with more dramatic elements and the effect of a crime procedural, but it’s a hidden thriller, too.There’s a sense of unease and strain throughoutthe seven-episode run, seeing people face their demons and fears almost head-on, but not before they run away from the truth like sprinters. Everyone’s a suspect and everything feels off, but we persevere. The haunting story of Mare’s hometown is like any other small-town drama—filled with dirty laundry and terrifying secrets.
Mare of Easttownfollows Detective Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet), who has been a big deal in her town since high school, when she scored a defining basketball point. Maretries to live up to the expectations of her former success as a detectivewhile looking for the killer of a 17-year-old local girl. The county sends her backup in the form of joyful Colin Zabel (Evan Peters), her opposite, and the two become friends during the case. This gripping whodunit will make you gasp several times throughout; there are surprises and brilliant plot twists, and not a second or a line in the entire series was wasted or said for nothing.
Mare of Easttown
5’The Night Of' (2016)
Starring Riz Ahmed and John Turturro
The Night Ofmustn’t be forgotten, since it’s one of HBO’s best-acted miniseries out there.John Turturrodelivers an incredible portrait of a relatable and relentless lawyer grappling with the reality of his current case, fighting for justice, and seeking answers. Next to him,Riz Ahmedportrays a Pakistani-American student accused of murder, with his race and heritage inevitably being played against him as the legal system grinds him down.It’s not a happy show, andyou’ll probably feel bad afterward, but it’s a reality many people face daily. The morally complex story tracks the effects on everyone involved.
The Night Offollows Naz (Ahmed), who borrows his dad’s cab to go to a party but meets a woman named Andrea along the way. Naz and Andrea have a drug-fueled one-night stand andNaz wakes up in the morning next to Andrea, who is dead. He maintains his innocence and soon starts working with defense attorney John Stone (Turturro). The beautiful performances by both leads are pretty haunting, though Ahmed, very subtly and yet with a certain loudness, depicts Naz as a flawed but wrongfully accused man in thiscrime procedural/slow-burn thriller.
The Night Of
4’Sharp Objects' (2018)
Starring Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson
Mothers, daughters, their broken relationships, and the birth of a psychopath are the central themes ofSharp Objects, based onGillian Flynn’s debut novel of the same name. This dark psychological thriller peels away the layers and explores mental illness, memory, pain, and generational trauma.Sharp Objectswas praised for its chilling tone thatblends a Southern Gothic styleinto the mix, creating an ominous atmosphere throughout. BothAmy AdamsandPatricia Clarksonreceived praise for their performances,and the show’s finaleis still very frequently talked about.
Sharp Objectsfollows troubled journalist Camille (Adams), who was recently released from a psychiatric hospital.She returns to her hometown, a small town by the name of Wind Gap, where she begins investigating the murders of two teen girls. When she returns home to her mother, Adora (Clarkson) and half-sister, Amma (Eliza Scanlen), she starts experiencing memory loss, traumatic flashbacks, and frequent sick days. It’s a bit stomach-turning, but it is a thrilling ride from beginning to end; not a show you’ll easily watch again, but worth a rewatch for the details regardless.
Sharp Objects
3’Say Nothing' (2024)
Starring Maxine Peake and Lola Petticrew
Say Nothingis a historical drama/thriller based on the book of the same name byPatrick Radden Keefe. Itdocuments the four decades of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, which lasted from the 1960s until 1998. The show (and the book) depicts some real-life personalities, like sistersDolours and Marian Price, who were Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteers;Brendan Hughes, the Officer Command of the IRA Belfast branch; andGerry Adams, a former Irish Republican politician. Other historical events are covered, too, like the case of the 17 individuals who disappeared during the Troubles, focusing on the kidnapping and murder ofJean McConville.
Say NothingfollowsMaxine Peakeas the older Dolours Price,narrating the story of her and her sister Marian’s experiences when they first joined the IRAas volunteers. The show blends thriller with tragedy, showing a politically charged story with chilling intrigue; itmostly takes researched facts into account—like the book—and the viewers' own feelings towards it will definitely play a part in the impressions ofSay Nothing. The show has some superb Northern Irish talents, fromLola PetticrewtoAnthony Boyle, though Peake often dominates as a charismatic lead, too.
Say Nothing
2’Black Bird' (2022)
Starring Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser
Black Birdwasbased on a true storywhen James Keene, a former football prodigy, was offered freedom from prison if he could elicit a confession from a suspected serial killer in a maximum security prison.Black Birdbrought attention toPaul Walter Hauser, whose performance was widely praised;Hauser won a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and a Critics' Choice Award for his portrayalof the dark and terrifying Larry Hall. It’s a real psychological chess match, nerve-wracking, calculated, and more than anything, intense. The atmosphere is palpable, andTaron Egertondoes an amazing job at showing fear through subtle acting.
Black Birdfollows James “Jimmy” Keene, who was sentenced to ten years after getting caught in elaborate drug deals across Chicago. Expecting a much lower sentence, Keene becomes desperate to find a way to reduce his sentence; FBI agent Lauren McCauley (Sepideh Moafi)approaches Jimmy with the request to elicit a confession from a convict, Larry Hall, who is in a facility for the criminally insane. In turn, his sentence would be omitted. This incredible show is thrilling from start to end and one of the best series of the past decade.
Black Bird
1’Chernobyl' (2019)
Starring Jared Harris and Emily Watson
As devastating as it is,Chernobylis also a thriller, showing many moments when people nearly lost their lives attempting to limit the damage of the1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.The depiction of the disaster itself is gut-wrenchingas we watch these experts experience the unthinkable. The entire show is a harrowing dramatization of the moment the disaster took place, but it also focuses on the cover-up, the human toll, and the courage of those who worked in the fields, hospitals, and offices. The tension-building isa masterclass here, often cut through with some devastating realism.
Chernobylmainly follows Valery Legasov (Jared Harris), the deputy director of the Kurchatov Institute, who is brought in to help the post-disaster cleanup efforts. Legasov is shown with some of the heroes that were rarely talked about, such as the firefighters who were the first responders. Besides him, a character representing various scientists appears in the form of Ulana Khomyuk (Emily Watson), a nuclear physicist from Minsk who investigates the events. If you’ve ever believed in the terror of bureaucracy, this show really hits the mark onhow much scarier the loss of human life can be when the victims are only observed as numbers or collateral. Difficult, yes, but also a brilliant thriller.
