For decades, HBO has been pumping out award-winning series that have often redefined the way we think about what a TV show is. More to the point, while there’s no shortage of compelling TV series out there, HBO Max’s content library is nothing short of iconic. From “The Sopranos” and “Succession” to “Game of Thrones,” it’s fair to say HBO helped kickstart what’s now referred to as the era of prestige TV.
I’m as big a fan as anyone when it comes to binging multiple seasons of an addictive TV show, but sometimes there’s something equally satisfying about a one-off miniseries. There’s less filler, and sometimes the writing has to be that much sharper for everything to be conveyed in a more constrained framework.
With that in mind, presented below are the four most addictive miniseries currently available on HBO Max. It was a challenging list to curate given how vast HBO Max’s content library is, but it’s fair to say that any of the selections below won’t disappoint. If you’re looking for a quick binge that won’t take over your life with multiple seasons, this is definitely a list you’ll want to check out.
The Night Of
I have to start with “The Night Of,” a miniseries that, in my opinion, is one of the best and most overlooked shows in recent memory. The show, released in 2016, centers on a college student named Naz who meets an intriguing woman while out on the town. After spending the night together, he wakes up and discovers that she’s dead, having been stabbed several times overnight.
The show then tracks the police investigation as authorities and the viewers are left trying to piece together what actually happened. Was Naz the perpetrator? Was he set up? Was it bad luck? The premise is familiar, of course, but where this show stands out is that the execution is absolutely masterful. Throughout the series, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what happened, and viewers constantly vacillate between thinking he did it and thinking he’s completely innocent. It’s rare to have a show execute this type of storyline so perfectly, but “The Night Of” does it at a level rarely seen today.
“The Night Of” was a critical success, which is actually a bit of an understatement. The show garnered 13 Emmy nominations, including for Outstanding Limited Series. It also received a pair of Golden Globe nominations. In short, I can’t recommend this show enough. If you need more convincing, the series has a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and a 93% from audiences.
Chernobyl
Released in 2019, “Chernobyl” is a short but impactful miniseries about the famous Chernobyl disaster. For those unfamiliar, the incident occurred in 1986 at a nuclear power plant in the former Soviet Union when a reactor exploded. The incident caused upwards of 50 deaths, and would later be responsible for health issues in tens of thousands of people.
The five-part miniseries follows the individuals who worked at the plant and the investigation that followed the explosion. The acting is superb, and the writing is engaging enough to make a somewhat technical topic interesting to viewers. The show is incredibly well-directed, and also uses muted colors that really help capture the feel of the ’80s Soviet Union. As a point of interest, the show was written and created by Craig Mazin who, if the name sounds familiar, is also the co-creator of HBO Max’s acclaimed “The Last of Us.”
“Chernobyl” was a critical smash, winning Emmys for Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series. You can tell the show is great because even if you have little interest in nuclear reactors or the Soviet Union, the storyline remains engaging from start to finish. Interestingly, the popularity of “Chernobyl” soon after its debut motivated online influencers to travel to the site to take dystopian photos for social media.
The Staircase
“The Staircase” is an enthralling crime drama centering on a crime novelist named Michael Peterson, who’s accused of murdering his wife after her body is found at the bottom of a staircase. If the plot sounds familiar, it’s because it’s based on a true story that was popularized in a 2018 Netflix documentary also titled “The Staircase.”
The premise of “The Staircase,” in a broad sense, is similar to “The Night Of,” as both shows center around a murder and viewers aren’t quite sure who’s responsible. The major difference, though, is that the events depicted in “The Staircase” aren’t fictional, a fact which makes some of the twists and turns all the more shocking.
Typically, crime dramatizations aren’t as good as documentaries about the same topic. But “The Staircase” on HBO Max is an exception. The series is incredibly riveting, even if you’ve already seen the Netflix documentary. The series is similar to FX’s “The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story” miniseries to the extent that great writing and superb acting can captivate viewers who are already familiar with the story. Put simply, if you’re into true crime and unfamiliar with the saga of Michael Peterson, “The Staircase” is must-see TV.
The Corner
I may be a little biased here, because I think HBO’s “The Wire” is one of the greatest shows in TV history. And “The Corner,” in a way, is the precursor to “The Wire.” Both shows were created by David Simon and Ed Burns, and both focus on the impact of the drug trade in Baltimore. Airing in 2000, “The Corner” chronicles the life of a family struggling to survive in a dangerous part of Baltimore while illustrating how drugs impact their lives.
The show naturally covers issues like poverty, the drug trade, addiction, and the challenges involved living day to day in a tough urban environment. Whereas each season of “The Wire” tended to focus on a different aspect of the drug trade (street dealers, the education system, politicians etc.), “The Corner” exclusively focuses on the regular people who get caught up in the drug-fueled environment that surrounds them.
“The Corner” is a gritty and realistic drama that’s worth checking out. Notably, the series has an astounding 100% rating with critics on Rotten Tomatoes. It was also nominated for four Emmys, ultimately winning three, including Outstanding Miniseries. The entire series was directed by Charles S. Dutton, who you might know as the star of ’90s sitcom “Roc.”
