15 Best Miniseries Based on True Stories, Ranked

True stories have a unique way of gripping the imagination, and when paired with the compact storytelling of miniseries, the result is often a riveting blend of drama and authenticity. Miniseries excel in exploring real-life events with depth and nuance, offering audiences a focused lens into extraordinary lives, scandals, and historical events. From tales of ambition gone awry to battles for justice, these dramatized retellings manage to both entertain and inform, transforming headlines and history books into emotional and moral tales.

Among the best, Dopesick sheds light on systemic greed at the core of the opioid crisis, while Chernobyl recreates the devastation of a nuclear disaster with precision. Themes of ambition, betrayal, justice, and resilience anchor this genre, proving that reality can often be more gripping than fiction. With meticulous detail and powerful performances, these miniseries elevate their source material into unforgettable storytelling that reaches a wider, mainstream audience. These are the best miniseries based on true stories, ranked by their entertainment value, attention to detail, and historical accuracy.

15

‘Inventing Anna’ (2023)

Created by Shonda Rhimes

From the creator of crime thrillers like How to Get Away With Murder and Scandal, comes this true crime drama about con artist Anna Sorokin, aka Anna Delvey, who assumes the identity of a German heiress and socialite and scams New York’s high society by millions. Inventing Anna unfolds in the past and present, where she is seen navigating a legal battle against her in the present, with flashbacks narrating Anna’s masterfully deceptive plans, while reporter Vivian Kent (Anna Chlumsky) attempts to understand Anna’s real story.

In Inventing Anna, Golden Globe-winner Julia Garner plays the titular role, taking the audience through her elaborate schemes of grand larceny and fraud, in an evocative performance that earned her a Primetime Emmy, a Golden Globe, and several other award nominations. As unbelievable as it may seem, Inventing Anna brings the astonishing true events to the screen in a fast-paced, gripping narrative and powerful acting. —Maddie P

14

‘Candy’ (2022)

Created by Nick Antosca

From the creator of The Act, comes this biographical crime drama that fictionalizes the real-life murder of Texan housewife Betty Gore by her neighbor, Candy Montgomery, who was having an affair with Betty’s husband, Allan Gore. Starring Jessica Biel as the titular antagonist with Melanie Lynskey as Betty, the Hulu original series focuses on the lives and backgrounds of Candy and Betty and explores the events that led to the infamous axe murder of the 1980s in Texas.

Candy effectively captures the essence of the true events with impeccable period aesthetics in costume, art, and music, and a taut script. Show creator Nick Antosca brings a dark crime thriller narrative to depict Candy and Betty’s friendship and emotional struggles, and how it all culminated in a brutal end. Candy is an engaging true crime drama that never fails to intrigue with its well-paced and engaging storytelling, but more so for the terrific performances by Biel, Lynskey, and the supporting cast featuring Pablo Schreiber and Timothy Simons. —Maddie P

Candy

Release Date

May 9, 2022

Network

Hulu

13

‘The Dropout’ (2022)

Created by Elizabeth Meriwether

The show chronicles the life of Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried), from her college years to the dramatic rise and fall of her career and company, Theranos. After dropping out of college, the ambitious and aspiring billionaire founds Theranos, a company promising revolutionary blood testing technology. However, the technology is flawed, and despite this, Elizabeth continues to run the company, attracting investors to its unstable foundation.

The Dropout is adapted from Rebecca Jarvis’ podcast of the same name, which explores the real-life story of Elizabeth Holmes, her crimes, and the key figures surrounding her and Theranos. This dramatized retelling delves into Holmes’ business ventures and the events leading up to her fraudulent practices, offering insight into her mindset. It humanizes her without glamorizing the widespread harm caused by her actions. In January 2022, Holmes was convicted of fraud and conspiracy for her role in the Theranos scandal and is currently serving an eleven-year sentence.

The Dropout

Release Date

2022 – 2022-00-00

Showrunner

Elizabeth Meriwether

12

‘A Very English Scandal’ (2018)

Created by Russell T Davies

A Very English Scandal recounts the illegal, same-sex affair between rising politician Jeremy Thorpe (Hugh Grant) and a young stable boy, Norman (Ben Whishaw). From the start, the men’s relationship is plagued by a power imbalance and exacerbated by Norman’s vulnerable state. With Norman’s threats to expose their affair looming, Thorpe arranges to have Norman killed to keep the affair silent. When the hitman (Blake Harrison) botches the murder attempt, Norman reports his suspicions of Thorpe to the police, leading to the infamous scandal as Thorpe is tried for conspiring to murder Norman.

The show was adapted from John Preston’s true crime non-fiction novel of the same name, which recounts the events leading up to the Thorpe affair, Jeremy Thorpe’s career-ending political and sex scandal. The BBC One miniseries stays true to the events depicted in the novel. When the affair came to light, Thorpe was forced to resign as the Liberal Party leader and later lost his parliamentary seat. However, Thorpe’s trial resulted in his acquittal. Despite the gravity of the scandal’s events, the show was highly entertaining and well-written.

11

‘Black Bird’ (2022)

Created by Dennis Lehane

Former football star and petty criminal Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton) faces a decade in prison until the FBI offers him a risky deal: transfer to a maximum-security prison for the criminally insane and befriend suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser) to extract confessions about missing women in exchange for Jimmy’s release. With his freedom and others’ lives at stake, Jimmy faces a more dangerous and violent environment, learning horrific information from the manipulative Hall. As Hall’s appeal pends, Jimmy must carefully but quickly get the confessions to attain justice for the victims and secure his own redemption.

Black Bird is based on the real-life James Keene’s autobiographical novel In with the Devil, written with investigative reporter Hillel Levin. With Keene serving as an executive producer on the Apple TV+ series, it stayed true to the real events. One event that was slightly fictionalized involved the map that Hall made, supposedly depicting where he buried his victims. In the series, Hall proudly shows the map to Jimmy, but in the novel, he is more secretive about it. The series also shows Hall mailing the map to his father, but in reality, the map was never recovered. Keene was released as promised and Larry Hall is currently serving life in prison.

Black Bird

Release Date

2022 – 2021

Showrunner

Dennis Lehane

10

‘Under the Banner of Heaven’ (2022)

Created by Dustin Lance Black

Devout Latter-day Saint Detective Jeb Pyre’s (Andrew Garfield) faith is challenged while investigating the 1984 murder of Brenda Wright Lafferty (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her baby Erica in Utah. Brenda’s brother-in-law, Ron (Sam Worthington), receives a revelation from God to commit these murders, and the horrific act is carried out by Ron and his brother Dan (Wyatt Russell). The case exposes the respected Mormon Lafferty family’s extreme, fundamentalist beliefs, leading to violent consequences. Flashbacks show the early days of Mormonism and Brenda’s strong-willed personality as Jeb uncovers a darker side to religion that tests his own beliefs.

Under the Banner of Heaven is based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Jon Krakauer. The miniseries uses flashbacks to explore the roots of Mormonism just as Krakauer divides his novel into two explorations: the history of Mormonism and the true murder case of Brenda and Erica. The most prominent piece of fiction from the show is the main character, Jeb, who does not appear to be based on any specific real-life figure connected to the case. Jeb serves as a lens through which to explore the case and reflect on the complicated relationship that can arise between religion and humanity. Ron and Dan Lafferty were both convicted for the murders; Ron died in 2019 and Dan is still serving his sentence.

9

‘The Spy’ (2019)

Created by Gideon Raff

Based on the book L’espion qui venait d’Israël (The Spy Who Came from Israel), by Uri Dan and Yeshayahu Ben Porat, The Spy is a fictionalized retelling of the shocking true story of Eli Cohen, a legendary and most prominent Mossad agent who was best known for his espionage work in Syria between 1961 and 1965. The Netflix original spy series focuses on Cohen assuming his new identity of Kamel Amin Taabet and plugging himself among the Syrian elite, and how he became the country’s Deputy Defense Minister and a close confidant to Amin al-Hafiz, during the years that led to the Six-Day War in 1967.

An actor otherwise known for sharp satires, Sacha Baron Cohen goes against his grain and depicts Eli Cohen in an immersive and stirring performance. The story of a fearless spy who navigates his personal life, marriage, and fatherhood, while fulfilling his espionage duties that would threaten his life, The Spy is both exciting and moving at the same time. —Maddie P

The Spy

Release Date

2019 – 2019-00-00

Network

Netflix

• 

  André Oumansky

  Rabbi Endebbo

• 

  Arié Elmaleh

  Michel Aflaq

• 

  Edgar Givry

  Jacques Mercier

• 

8

‘Griselda’ (2024)

Created by Doug Miro, Ingrid Escajeda, Eric Newman, et al.

Griselda narrates the real-life story of the titular drug lord and crime boss who shot to fame as the Godmother of Cocaine, ruling Miami’s underworld from the 1970s through the early 2000s. The biographical crime thriller sees Modern Family star Sofía Vergara take on the role of the infamous Griselda Blanco and chronicles her rise and fall and how her aggressive pursuit of power, wealth, and influence made her a fearless cartel leader.

Even though Griselda draws from its original inspiration show Narcos in its themes, concepts, motifs, and certain narratives, the Netflix original true-crime series is a distinctive show of its own merits. The narrative, however pulpy with several clichés, is undeniably stylish, colorful, and explosive, with great retro art and fast-paced storytelling that makes the series not only engaging but also exciting in every episode. On its release, Griselda became one of the top gangster shows on Netflix and earned widespread praise for Vergara’s compelling, never-before-seen performance. —Maddie P

Griselda

Release Date

2024 – 2023

Showrunner

Ingrid Escajeda

• 
• 

7

‘Dopesick’ (2021)

Created by Danny Strong

Dopesick explores the origins and consequences of the opioid crisis in America, focusing on Purdue Pharma’s deceptive marketing of OxyContin as a low-risk painkiller. The miniseries intertwines timelines, depicting Purdue’s profit-driven manipulation of science, the struggles of Dr. Finnix (Michael Keaton), a small-town physician who was persuaded to prescribe OxyContin to his patients, and investigations into Purdue’s practices. It highlights the devastating toll of addiction on people and communities through personal stories while exposing the systemic greed and misinformation that fueled the epidemic.

Based on Beth Macy’s book of the same name, Dopesick captures the real events surrounding Purdue Pharma’s aggressive and deceptive marketing of OxyContin, which falsely claimed a low risk of addiction. Characters like Dr. Finnix and his addicted patient Betsy Mallum (Kaitlyn Dever) are fictional, but they reflect real experiences of addiction and recovery. Law enforcement efforts to hold the real Purdue Pharma and Sackler family accountable, as seen through real figures like Rick Mountcastle and Randy Ramseyer, highlight the challenges of fighting corporate power. Purdue ultimately settled for billions, but the Sacklers denied any wrongdoing.

Dopesick

Release Date

2021 – 2020

Directors

Danny Strong

• 
• 

6

‘Baby Reindeer’ (2024)

Created by Richard Gadd

Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd) is a bartender and aspiring comedian whose kindness toward an upset pub customer, Martha (Jessica Gunning), spirals into stalking. As Martha’s obsession escalates, Donny confronts not only her threats but also his own trauma, including past sexual abuse by a mentor, Darrien (Tom Goodman-Hill). The miniseries explores the complex and messy layers of mental illness, guilt and survival, humanizing Martha, who genuinely needs help more than punishment for her actions. Baby Reindeer offers a disturbing and candid portrayal of resurfaced trauma as Martha complicates Donny’s life.

Baby Reindeer is based on Richard Gadd’s autobiographical one-man show portraying his real-life experience with a stalker. Gadd was cautious not to expose the identities of the people depicted, assigning pseudonyms to his stalker “Martha” and abuser “Darrien.” Although Martha was arrested and charged with stalking and harassment, the real-life “Martha” was not, and Gadd has avoided detail about the real Martha’s fate. The Netflix series was a major success, followed by viewers’ speculation about the true identity of the characters.

Baby Reindeer

Release Date

2024 – 2023

Directors

Weronika Tofilska, Josephine Bornebusch

• 
• 

  Jessica Gunning

  Martha Scott