Striking the perfect balance between the high production values of cinema and the long-form storytelling of television, the miniseries format has given us some of the greatest TV shows of all time, so it’s no surprise that HBO, one of the premier producers of prestige television, has created several great miniseries over the years. But it’s one thing to be a great show — to be a masterpiece requires something more: a level of perfection in all matters that raises production to the very pinnacle of its field. That might be a high standard, but it isn’t an impossible one, and the streaming service HBO Max is home to some of the best miniseries to earn that title. Read on to discover our handpicked selection of the greatest masterpiece miniseries that you can stream right now on HBO Max.
Looking for more TV masterpieces? Be sure to check out our lists of the best masterpiece miniseries on Prime Video and Netflix, the greatest TV masterpieces on HBO Max, and the best shows on HBO Max in general.
Disclaimer: These titles are available on US HBO Max.
‘Chernobyl’ (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 9.3/10
Chernobyl
- Release Date
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2019 – 2019
- Network
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HBO
- Showrunner
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Craig Mazin
- Directors
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Johan Renck
- Writers
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Craig Mazin
Created and written by Craig Mazin and directed by Johan Renck, Chernobyl is a historical drama miniseries that explores the real-life 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The five-part series unfolds a dramatized (but largely faithful to history) account of the events that led to the disaster and the efforts of first responders who worked to clean up the aftermath. The show features an ensemble cast that includes Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson, and Paul Ritter.
Chernobyl premiered simultaneously on HBO and Sky UK in May 2019, receiving a very warm reception from critics and audiences. The show was closely followed by audiences around the world during its initial run, and it has received widespread acclaim for its atmosphere, writing, cinematography, music, and performances — not to mention the attention to historical detail. The series earned numerous accolades, including 10 Emmy Awards out of 19 nominations and nine BAFTAs out of 14 nominations.
Watch on HBO Max
‘Mare of Easttown’ (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 8.4/10
Mare of Easttown
- Release Date
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2021 – 2020
- Network
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HBO Max
- Showrunner
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Brad Ingelsby
- Writers
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Brad Ingelsby
A seven-episode crime drama miniseries, Mare of Easttown was created and written by Brad Ingelsby and directed by Craig Zobel. Kate Winslet stars as the titular detective, Mare Sheehan, a local hero in the small suburb of Easttown, Philadelphia, who is struggling with a custody battle and the trauma of losing a son to suicide while investigating the mysterious murder of a teenage mother. The series also features Julianne Nicholson, Jean Smart, Angourie Rice, Evan Peters, Sosie Bacon, David Denman, Guy Pearce, and more in key supporting roles.
Mare of Easttown premiered in April 2021 to universal acclaim, with many hailing it as one of the best shows of the year. Praised by critics and audiences alike for its narrative, performances, and representation of women, the series earned several accolades, including four Primetime Emmy Awards out of 16 nominations, with Winslet, Nicholson, and Peters winning the awards for Outstanding Lead Actress, Outstanding Supporting Actress, and Outstanding Supporting Actor, respectively. A character-driven drama elevated by its superb performances, Mare of Easttown is a compelling and absorbing mystery with a powerful emotional core.
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‘Sharp Objects’ (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 8.0/10
Created by Marti Noxon and directed by Jean-Marc Vallée in his final directorial work before his death in 2021, Sharp Objects is a psychological thriller miniseries adapted from Gillian Flynn‘s eponymous 2006 novel. The series stars Amy Adams as Camille Preaker, a troubled reporter who returns to her hometown to cover the murder of two young girls while struggling with the ghosts of her own tragic past. Besides Adams, the show also features Patricia Clarkson, Chris Messina, Eliza Scanlen, Matt Craven, Henry Czerny, Elizabeth Perkins, and more in its ensemble cast.
A moody, character-centric thriller that’s near-perfect in every way, Sharp Objects received widespread critical acclaim when it premiered in 2018, receiving praise for its visuals, atmosphere, direction, and performances. Anchored by its stellar acting, the series is a slow-burn character study that’s thoroughly absorbing from start to finish. The show earned several accolades, winning Clarkson a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination for her performance as Camille’s overbearing mother and earning a total of eight Primetime Emmy nominations.
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‘Station Eleven’ (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | IMDb: 7.6/10
Station Eleven
- Release Date
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2021 – 2022
- Network
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HBO Max
- Directors
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Helen Shaver
- Writers
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Sarah McCarron, Kim Steele, Cord Jefferson
Based on Emily St. John Mandel’s eponymous 2014 novel, Station Eleven is a post-apocalyptic miniseries created by Patrick Somerville. Set 20 years after the collapse of civilization due to a deadly pandemic, the series revolves around a group of traveling performers who encounter a violent cult led by a mysterious prophet. The show boasts an ensemble cast that includes Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Matilda Lawler, David Wilmot, Nabhaan Rizwan, Daniel Zovatto, Philippine Velge, and Lori Petty as main cast members, with Gael García Bernal, Danielle Deadwyler, David Cross, Caitlin FitzGerald, and more in recurring roles.
Station Eleven was highly acclaimed by critics and audiences when it first premiered on HBO Max in December 2021. A fresh take on post-apocalyptic dystopias inspired by an award-winning novel, the series presents a thematically rich story of the human experience set against the backdrop of terrible tragedy. The series went on to earn several accolades, including seven nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards, three Independent Spirit Award nominations, and two Critics’ Choice Super Award wins.
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‘Mildred Pierce’ (2011)
Rotten Tomatoes: 81% | IMDb: 7.6/10
Mildred Pierce
- Release Date
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2011 – 2010
- Network
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HBO
- Writers
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Jonathan Raymond
Created by Todd Haynes, Mildred Pierce is a historical drama miniseries adapted from James M. Cain‘s eponymous 1941 novel. Set during the Great Depression, the series stars Kate Winslet as the titular character, a recently divorced woman trying to establish a restaurant business in Los Angeles while desperately craving the respect of her spoiled daughter (Evan Rachel Wood). The series also features Guy Pearce, Miriam Shor, Melissa Leo, and more in key roles.
Mildred Pierce premiered on HBO in March 2011 to a positive critical reception. While it flew mostly under the radar with audiences at the time, the show has earned praise for its performances, especially that of Winslet in the title role. The series also received a number of accolades, including two Emmy Awards out of nine nominations. A well-acted and gorgeously produced adaptation that’s also extremely faithful to its source material, the show is a must-watch for fans of Kate Winslet’s work — and really anyone who enjoys a genuinely heartbreaking period drama.
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‘Watchmen’ (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | IMDb: 8.2/10
Watchmen
- Release Date
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2019 – 2018
- Network
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HBO
- Directors
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David Semel, Fred Toye
- Writers
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Nick Cuse, Carly Wray
Developed by Damon Lindelof, Watchmen is both an adaptation of and a sequel to the eponymous 1986 DC Comics series created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Set 34 years after the comics, the show revolves around a series of events in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where a white supremacist group inspired by the vigilante Rorschach clashes with the police, forcing cops to take up masked identities to protect their families. When the chief of police is murdered, Detective Angela Abar (Regina King) investigates the case, uncovering a massive decades-spanning conspiracy connected to the mysterious Doctor Manhattan. Besides King, the series also features Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Andrew Howard, Louis Gossett Jr., Jeremy Irons, Jean Smart, Hong Chau, and more in key roles.
Watchmen first premiered in October 2019, receiving universal acclaim from critics and audiences during its original run. Arguably the greatest superhero show of all time, the series brilliantly reimagines the iconic comics in a way that’s both original and faithful to the ethos of its source material. Featuring some truly mindblowing performances, writing, direction, and visuals, the series earned several accolades, including 11 Emmy Awards, the most of any show that year.
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‘I May Destroy You’ (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | IMDb: 8.1/10
Created, written, co-directed, and executive produced by Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You is a British black comedy-drama series that follows a young writer trying to finish her second book. After a night out with friends, she wakes up with little-to-no memory of what happened the previous night, but as she puts the pieces together, she comes to the chilling realization that she was raped at a nightclub. Coel stars in the series as the central character, Arabella, leading a cast that also includes Weruche Opia, Paapa Essiedu, Marouane Zotti, Stephen Wight, Adam James, Natalie Walter, Aml Ameen, and more.
I May Destroy You was universally acclaimed when it premiered on BBC One and HBO in June 2020, receiving praise for its writing, direction, and performances. Widely regarded as one of the best TV shows of the 21st century so far (and possibly of all time), the series takes viewers on a powerful exploration of sexual violence and Millennial life, underscored by a surprising sense of humor. Appropriately, the series earned numerous accolades, including five BAFTAs out of eight nominations and two Emmy Awards out of nine nominations.
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‘The Night Of’ (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | IMDb: 8.4/10
Adapted from the first season of the 2008 British show Criminal Justice, The Night Of is a crime drama miniseries written by Richard Price and Steven Zaillian and directed by Zaillian and James Marsh. The series stars Riz Ahmed as a Pakistani-American college student in New York City who is accused of killing a young woman, following the investigation and trial over the course of eight episodes. Besides Ahmed, the show also stars John Turturro, Michael Kenneth Williams, Bill Camp, Jeannie Berlin, Payman Maadi, Poorna Jagannathan, Glenne Headly, Amara Karan, and more in key roles.
The Night Of premiered on HBO in July 2016, receiving widespread critical acclaim for its performances, production value, and engaging mystery story. A thrilling crime story that’s also emotionally devastating, the series offers a gritty and realistic portrayal of the criminal justice system, highlighting how it’s so often perverted to further personal agendas at the expense of those it’s supposed to protect. The show earned several accolades, including five Emmy Awards out of 14 nominations, and was named one of the top 10 TV programs of the year by the American Film Institute.
Watch on HBO Max