While it seemed like the TV industry had turned its back on miniseries in the aughts, the genre has made a major comeback in recent years. And thank goodness, because there's nothing quite as satisfying as sitting down and streaming a meaty miniseries in one sitting [1]. These short-form shows tell a compelling story from start to finish in a single season — and the best part is, miniseries can be about anything. Need proof? Just take a look at our selection of the best miniseries currently streaming on Hulu [2]. Whether you love twisty crime dramas [3] or adaptations of Jane Austen novels [4], Hulu has a limited series that you're sure to love (and devour in record time).
The Act
Based on the true story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, The Act [5] isn't an easy show to watch, but it's riveting nonetheless. The series chronicles the twisted mother-daughter relationship between Gypsy Rose and Dee Dee Blanchard that ultimately led to a shocking murder. And while the subject matter will leave you feeling deeply unsettled, Patricia Arquette and Joey King [6]'s performances as Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose are so good you won't be able to look away no matter how dark this strange-but-true story gets.
Watch The Act on Hulu. [7]
Catch-22
For reasons unknown, Hulu's original miniseries adaptation of Joseph Heller's classic novel Catch-22 didn't receive much attention when it premiered on the streamer in 2019. However, this dark comedy about a World War II soldier who can neither keep flying dangerous missions without being declared unstable nor request to be removed from duty without proving his sanity delves into the emotional toll of war with honesty and a sense of humour that makes it well worth watching. It also helps that the cast is absolutely stacked with stars, including George Clooney [8], Christopher Abbott, Kyle Chandler, and Hugh Laurie.
Watch Catch-22 on Hulu. [9]
Devs
Devs is a wonderfully strange series from Alex Garland, who directed the critically-acclaimed sci-fi films Annihilation and Ex Machina. Over the course of eight episodes, the show unravels a conspiracy involving the enigmatic CEO of a Silicon Valley tech corporation (played by Nick Offerman), while also exploring heady concepts like the nature of free will.
Watch Devs on Hulu. [10]
Fosse/Verdon
Theatre lovers, this one's for you. Told across five decades, Fosse/Verdon delves into the tumultuous relationship between choreographer Bob Fosse (Sam Rockwell) and Broadway star Gwen Verdon (Michelle Williams [11]) as they fight, fall in and out of love, and collaborate on some of the greatest musicals of alltime.
Watch Fosse/Verdon on Hulu. [12]
High Fidelity
Originally, High Fidelity was designed to be an ongoing anthology [13] style series, but even though Hulu opted not to renew the show for a second season, it still stands as a dryly funny, romantic comedy for the modern age. The series stars Zoë Kravitz (who also serves as executive producer) as Rob, a record store owner who is more than a little unlucky in love.
Watch High Fidelity on Hulu. [14]
I Am the Night
Directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Chris Pine [15], I Am the Night is inspired by the true story of one of Hollywood's most notorious crimes. The miniseries is based on Fauna Hodel's memoir One Day She'll Darken: The Mysterious Beginnings of Fauna Hodel, which chronicles her connection to the infamous Black Dahlia case.
Watch I Am the Night on Hulu. [16]
Little Fires Everywhere
Based on the book of the same name by Celeste Ng, Little Fires Everywhere [17] is an intense, intricate series about class divides, racism, and motherhood all set against the backdrop of the affluent neighbourhood of '90s era Shaker Heights, Ohio. The stellar cast is anchored by Reese Witherspoon [18] and Kerry Washington [19], who play two mothers whose lives are changed in unimaginable ways after a chance encounter.
Watch Little Fires Everywhere on Hulu. [20]
Looking for Alaska
Created by teen TV auteurs Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, Looking for Alaska will take you right back to the '90s. This earnest series, which is based on the novel of the same name by John Green, is set at a remote Florida boarding school where an introspective teen named Miles (Charlie Plummer) falls for the mysterious Alaska Young (Kristine Froseth).
Watch Looking for Alaska on Hulu. [21]
The Looming Tower
Set in the '90s as the FBI and CIA's counterterrorism teams engage in an intense rivalry over information, The Looming Tower is a political miniseries that tracks the rise of Osama bin Laden, as well as the alleged internal missteps that may have led to 9/11 happening. The series also has a star-studded cast, which includes Jeff Daniels, Alec Baldwin [22], and Peter Sarsgaard.
Watch The Looming Tower on Hulu. [23]
Mrs. America
Mrs. America tells the true story of the fight to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, and the woman who made it her goal in life to stop it: conservative superstar Phyllis Schlafly. Told both from the perspective of Schlafly and the women at the forefront of the second-wave feminist movement, this fascinating miniseries stars all of your favourite actors, including Cate Blanchett [24], Uzo Aduba, Sarah Paulson, and Margo Martindale.
Watch Mrs. America on Hulu. [25]
National Treasure
National Treasure is a miniseries for the #MeToo era. Paul Finchley (Robbie Coltrane) is a beloved comedian whose career is fading when allegations of rape force him and his loved ones to confront the truth about the kind of man he truly is.
Watch National Treasure on Hulu. [26]
Normal People
There's a reason why it seemed like everyone was talking about Normal People [27]in early 2020: It's just that good. The stirring series based on Sally Rooney's bestselling book follows Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones [28]) and Connell (Paul Mescal [29]), two young people from the same small town in Ireland whose intimate and complex love story stops and starts as they encounter each other at different stages of their young adulthood.
Watch Normal People on Hulu. [30]
Pride and Prejudice
You just haven't fully lived until you've witnessed Colin Firth [31] playing Mr. Darcy. Long before Bridgerton [32] took the world by storm, the BBC's 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice proved that period dramas could be very sexy indeed when Mr. Darcy decided to go for an impromptu swim in a lake.
Watch Pride and Prejudice on Hulu. [33]
The Sister
If you can't stop thinking about Netflix's Behind Her Eyes [34], then you need to watch Hulu's The Sister, ASAP. Starring Russell Tovey, this tightly-plotted thriller follows a man whose perfect life is thrown off-course when a visitor from his past forces him to confront the skeletons in his closet that he would much rather forget.
Watch The Sister on Hulu. [35]
A Teacher
A Teacher tells the disturbing story of Claire (Kate Mara), a new teacher who embarks on an affair with one of her students (Nick Robinson). What begins as an illicit secret soon becomes a scandal that will have long-lasting repercussions for everyone involved.
Watch A Teacher on Hulu. [36]
Top of the Lake
Written and created by Jane Campion, Top of the Lake is a harrowing story of a 12-year-old girl's assault and subsequent pregnancy, and the detective who refuses to rest until she can find some measure of justice for her. The disappearance of Tui (Jacqueline Joe) leads Detective Robin Griffin (Elisabeth Moss [37]) into the dark underbelly of her small home town in New Zealand as she searches for Tui and confronts the demons from her own past.
Watch Top of the Lake on Hulu. [38]