15 Best HBO Miniseries, Ranked According To IMDb

HBO has plenty of brilliant mini-series that makes it a strong contender in a battle with any other streaming platform. IMDb considers these the best.

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In terms of critical acclaim and mainstream impact, HBO has had quite a successful record with its miniseries. Even though FX, Showtime, and now Netflix and Amazon Prime Video pose as worthy competitors in this regard, HBO hasn’t lost its charm, with Emmy-winning miniseries including the likes of Watchmen, Chernobyl, and more.

Even in the early 2000s, HBO limited series like Angels In America, John Adams, and Band of Brothers are all considered as some of the best shows of all time. Most of these miniseries fall under the category of drama, with occasional stylistic influences from other genres, like superhero series (Watchmen) and legal dramas (The Night Of).

Updated on August 28th, 2021 by Kevin Pantoja: The network is so good at delivering impressive miniseries that it’s hard to just cap them out at 10. The history of HBO miniseries dates back decades but they’ve really hit their stride in the past few years. In fact, some of them will go down as a few of the best HBO series ever crafted. Some are twisted mysteries, most feature some of the most respected actors around, and all received critical acclaim across the board.

15 Sharp Objects (2018) – 8.1

Based on Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name, 2018’s Sharp Objects proved to be another hit for HBO. The show followed Camille Parker (Amy Adams), a troubled reporter who returns to her hometown and looks into the murder of two local young girls.

Though the audience returned every week for the twists and turns of the story, the performances of the fantastic cast grabbed everyone. Adams scored multiple award nominations, Patricia Clarkson won a Golden Globe as her mother, and the likes of Eliza Scanlen and Sydney Sweeney cemented themselves as future stars.

14 I May Destroy You (2020) – 8.1

2020’s I May Destroy You isn’t entirely an HBO original, considering it was produced by both BBC and HBO. However, the British drama is the brainchild of writer, creator, and leading lady Michaela Coel and it delves into a traumatizing incident from her past.

The story shifts between past and present as the protagonist seeks to rebuild her life and career. At times, the realistic tone also gives way to a satirical take on today’s internet-driven socio-political climate. Heavily praised by critics all over, I May Destroy You has helped launch Coel’s international career and was another HBO limited series hit.

13 Angels In America (2003) – 8.2

Arguably one of the best stage play adaptations, Angels In America was conceptualized by the original’s Pulitzer-winning writer Tony Kushner, while Mike Nichols took charge of the directorial duties. The AIDS epidemic, the subsequent increases in homophobia, Reagan-era politics, and magical realism collide in this monumental miniseries that swept all major Emmys it was nominated for, including all four acting categories.

Even though the titular plot is centered around Prior Walter (Justin Kirk), a gay man who encounters an angel, the star-studded ensemble is utilized for other parallel storylines.

12 I Know This Much Is True (2020) – 8.2

Adapted from the novel of the same name, I Know This Much is True was going to be as successful as the performance of Mark Ruffalo. He pulled double-duty, playing both Dominick and Thomas Bradley, a pair of twin brothers. Thomas’s schizophrenia leads him to cut off his own hand and Dominick attempts to help him through the follow-up.

Thankfully, Ruffalo delivered great work that helped him win an Emmy award. Though not as high profile as some other HBO miniseries, I Know This Much is True was a grim watch bolstered by the impressive cast including Imogen Poots, Kathryn Hahn, and Melissa Leo.

11 Watchmen (2019) – 8.2

A modern update on Alan Moore’s trailblazing graphic novel of the same name, Watchmen serves as a continuation to this saga, mixing the narrative with issues of present-day relevance ranging from police brutality to the threat of nuclear annihilation. It rebrands beloved characters, like Ozymandias (Jeremy Irons) and Doctor Manhattan (Yahya Abdul-Mateen III), and also introduces new ones, like Sister Night (Regina King).

Featuring a talented ensemble and a multi-faceted philosophical premise, Watchmen stands out in its own right, despite the shadow of its source material.

10 Olive Kitteridge (2014) – 8.3

Starring Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins, and Bill Murray, Olive Kitteridge is an interesting character study of a misunderstood protagonist. McDormand sinks her teeth into the character, a strict teacher dealing with depression and familial issues.

Winning eight Emmys, Olive Kitteridge is also quite faithful in its adaptation of Elizabeth Strout’s novel of the same name. To capture the novel’s biography-like approach, the show is presented as four parts, with each part covering a particular aspect of Kitteridge’s life. It makes for a worthy watch, especially for those who are interested in consuming slow-burning human dramas.

9 The Pacific (2010) – 8.3

While Band of Brothers had already set a high precedent for war drama on TV, The Pacific was a worthy follow-up to it, subverting the genre’s familiar tropes in the duration of 10 episodes.

Unlike Band of Brothers, The Pacific shifts the focus from soldiers of the Easy Company to Marines fighting in the Pacific theater. The time period of both the series is quite similar, but different regiments and landscapes prevent it from getting too derivative. As expected, it offers a visually gripping, realistic, and humanized version of war that was once glorified in jingoistic portrayals.

8 The Young Pope (2016) – 8.4

Jude Law seems to be one of those actors who finds success in almost anything that he does. That was the case again with 2016’s The Young Pope, where he took on the difficult role of Lenny Belardo, a pope who is known to disrupt the usual chain of events.

He was helped by his confidant Sister Mary (Diane Keaton) and continually challenges the established order. The 10-episode miniseries was met with high praise from almost everyone and Law received an Emmy nomination for his performance. The series itself made history by being the first Italian show to get an Emmy nod.

7 The Night Of (2016) – 8.5

Even though Peter Moffat created The Night Of as a British legal thriller, the American HBO variant by Steven Zaillian went on to garner more popularity and praise. In what is often ranked as his best TV show role, Riz Ahmed plays Nasir, a man falsely incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. John Turturro portrays his lawyer who’s convinced of Nasir’s innocence.

As all the concerned parties try their best to find the actual criminal, Nasir unwillingly accepts his metamorphosis as a changed man in prison. With enough thrills and social commentary, The Night Of is a largely relevant miniseries that reveals the social biases and stereotypes often faced by Muslim immigrants in the West.

6 Generation Kill (2008) – 8.5

Based on journalist Evan Wrights’s memoir on the 2003 Iraq invasion, Generation Kill is a war drama that tends to explore the mental toll of warfare on American soldiers, most of whom are passionate, young recruits. While the conflict in Iraq and its agendas have been interpreted and reinterpreted in some of the best war movies of the 21st century so far, Generation Kill utilizes its seven-part miniseries format to build a uniquely atmospheric world, riddled with violence and uncertainty.

While no war miniseries seems to match the cult status of Band of Brothers, this 2008 miniseries has cultivated a popular following. It’s also noteworthy for introducing Alexader Skarsgård (who plays a Marine Staff Sergeant) to a mainstream audience.

5 John Adams (2008) – 8.5

Paul Giamatti plays the second President of the United States in John Adams, a miniseries that focuses on Adams’ role in the nation’s founding. Director Tom Hooper is a perfect fit for the story, given his expertise with period dramas like HBO’s Elizabeth I and The King’s Speech.

Even though the show continues to have a favorable public reaction, as can be seen from its IMDb rating, John Adams still divided critics in terms of its casting choices and overall style. If anything, the miniseries is quite educational for viewers wishing to know more about its muse.

4 Mare Of Easttown (2021) – 8.5

The most recent hit HBO miniseries is Mare of Easttown, which was perfect for their new streaming service, HBO Max. The show featured a mystery that had more and more layers revealed with each episode, which captivated audiences as they got closer to the truth.

Racking up 16 nominations and being the talk of social media and the water cooler, the series was something everyone seemed to be talking about. Kate Winslet delivered her typical masterful performance, while Evan Peters was likely never better. Throw in the network’s trademark production value and this is essential viewing.

3 The Corner (2000) – 8.6

Over time, it has gotten lost in the shuffle but 2000’s The Corner remains one of the best things HBO has ever put out. Based on the nonfiction book The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood, the show tells the emotional tale of a poor family living in Baltimore.

The series was raw and unwavering in the way it depicted a rough lifestyle spent around drug-addicted neighborhoods. Given the setting and some of the cast members, it could also be seen as a good introduction for fans of The Wire. Though not as famous or popular as other HBO miniseries, this did win three Emmy awards.

2 Chernobyl (2019) – 9.4

Chernobyl is a modern achievement in terms of its storytelling and technical prowess. As is evident from the title, it covers the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl Nuclear Plant, its subsequent tragedy, and relief efforts. Unflinchingly raw and disturbingly real in its portrayal of the aftermath, Chernobyl plays out in a glum and critical fashion, revealing how it’s always the ordinary people who face the brunt of the devastation.

The plot also pays significant attention to the efforts of state-sponsored Soviet media to tone down the scale of the incident, a decision that only worsened the situation of the locals. All in all, Chernobyl isn’t just a critique of how the incident was handled, but it also tends to serve as a universal warning, of sorts.

1 Band Of Brothers (2001) – 9.4

Produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, Band of Brothers is widely considered one of the best war stories to be put to screen. With a massive ensemble cast and high-end production value, the landmark miniseries focuses on members of the Parachute Infantry Regiment nicknamed “Easy Company” during World War 2.

Along with wartime action, it succeeds at showcasing their metamorphosis from youngsters craving for action to weary soldiers wishing to get out of the conflict. For those who are interested in realistic war drama films like Spielberg’s own Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers makes for a flawless viewing session.

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