Eight Near-Perfect Netflix Miniseries, Each with One Major Flaw

There have been many fantastic miniseries on Netflix in the last decade, and several come close to perfection. Still, each of the eight highlighted shows carries a single, glaring flaw that undercuts an otherwise impressive effort. Adolescence earns praise for raw, unsettling performances—Jamie (Owen Cooper) is electrifying and won several awards, while Stephen Graham earned an Emmy for his portrayal of Eddie—yet the series leaves viewers wanting more of Jamie’s story after his arrest and plea.

Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass feels too contained as a one-and-done miniseries despite its rich themes and Hamish Linklater’s transfixing work, and Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story drifts into soapy territory by implying a sexual relationship for which there is no evidence, weakening its true-crime foundations.

Baby Reindeer is deliberately uncomfortable and relentless, offering little respite between disturbing moments even as it delivers powerful commentary on assault and shame.

netflix, miniseries, adolescence, owen cooper, stephen graham, midnight mass, mike flanagan, lyle menendez, baby reindeer, true crime