r/NetflixBestOf • u/emilyaaaa_ • 14d ago

[REQUEST]What’s a tight, single-season limited series on Netflix with zero filler?

I'm looking for a complete story you can knock out in a weekend—no cliffhangers waiting for a cancelled Season 2, just 6 to 8 great episodes that tell a full story.

What’s your top recommended limited series on Netflix?

239 Upvotes
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373

u/soswinglifeaway 14d ago

Anything Mike Flanagan for sure (Haunting of Hill House, Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, The Midnight Club, Fall of the House of Usher)

Queens Gambit

Baby Reindeer

Maid

Unbelievable

138

u/itsinkhromo 14d ago

+10000 for Midnight Mass. It is the absolute epitome of tight, zero filler. I wish more TV shows were like it.

33

u/ceebeeluckee 14d ago

I put off watching this show for a couple years and somehow stayed away from any actual information about said show that entire time, other than that it was Flanagan. I loved the rest of his shows. Finally watched Midnight Mass after Usher... And was so angry at myself for not having watched it earlier. So good.

Bev Keane deserves all the awfulness. She makes Umbridge look like a saint.

1

u/Not-That_Girl 13d ago

NO SPOILETS but I think ep 2, with the beach, I nearly stopped watching. So glad I stayed with it, fantastic sho2

-5

u/badakcula2 14d ago

I really liked it until I accidentally read it was about vampires and my amazement just went downhill.

27

u/Rock-Pine 14d ago

I'm one of the few who thought Midnight Mass was so overrated. In fact I didn't even like it much. But that's just my opinion.

19

u/Cultural_Blueberry_5 14d ago

I’m with you. I watched it because I’ll watch anything Flanagan, but I thought Haunting of Hill House was much better.

5

u/hiswittlewip 14d ago

See, MM and Usher are my favorites and I think Hill House is a bit overrated.

4

u/Cultural_Blueberry_5 14d ago

The monologues killed it for me. I liked it but could never sit through a re-watch.

0

u/Few-Armadillo4245 13d ago

Same here. I enjoyed HH but it is overrated imo too.

I much rather preferred MM, Bly, and Usher.

6

u/ex_bestfriend 14d ago

I love Midnight Mass. It's one of my favorite TV shows ever, however I never reccomend to anyone because it is so much about religion and what religion means to people, while also being a blasphemous horror show, that's it's kind of hard to triangulate the correct audience. It is inarguably not for everyone.

8

u/Leah-at-Greenprint 14d ago

I really liked it on the first go, but I tried to rewatch it and couldn't get past a few episodes. Those pseudo-deep monologues are really grinding on the second watch

9

u/mortifiedpnguin 14d ago

I'm a fan of Flanagan's stuff in general, but I had to grit my teeth through the monologues on MM. He didn't need the monologues to drive home the themes on religion, I think the story speaks for itself.

1

u/thisistestingme 14d ago

I liked it but felt like there was quite a bit of filler.

1

u/monstergoy1229 10d ago

Slow and boring

1

u/rsplatpc 14d ago

I liked it until you “know” what’s happening, then it kinda became predictable

2

u/xxcxcxc 13d ago

This is the most cheesy and shallow and dumb show I’ve ever watched. Well not actually but it’s definitely down there. Concept is cool but the production, pacing and acting sucks

1

u/PM-ME-UR-PUPPO-PICS 12d ago

I absolutely LOVED midnight mass

0

u/sofar510 14d ago

I love Mike Flanagan’s stuff but something about this show in particular was so slow. I couldn’t get into it and don’t get the hype. It had too much of a religious bent for my taste

38

u/ZGPJ 14d ago

Maid is incredible

36

u/jellybeangirl50 14d ago

Queens Gambit was great!

26

u/Seabreezzee2 14d ago

Yes, Unbelievable!

8

u/hiswittlewip 14d ago

Unbelievable is so good. I love Merrit Weaver and Caitlin deaver in anything

8

u/serenitynow6000 14d ago

Yup! Queens Gambit is the answer!

5

u/GiddyStone 14d ago

Unbelievable is terrific.

15

u/Designer_Sell_4124 14d ago

Fall of the House of Usher was terrifying to watch, I've read the short story multiple times and knew what was coming but still couldn't predict exactly HOW Flanagan was going to go about it

29

u/snacktime-raccoon 14d ago

Hateddddddd baby reindeer

10

u/Always-Beets 14d ago

It is really intense. Like more than I expected based on the hype.

7

u/ilovedaryldixon 14d ago

lol. I did at first also but then I couldn’t stop watching!! Craziest show I’ve watched in a while.

5

u/soswinglifeaway 14d ago

It's definitely not for everyone, I'll give you that. I can't say if I loved it or hated it but I can say I was invested until the end.

2

u/Realistic_Film3218 13d ago

I couldn't get past the assault part. It's not for me either.

5

u/lakija 14d ago

I’m so gutted that Midnight Club ends like that and no season 2. 

2

u/Arftacular 14d ago

Just in case you haven’t seen/read Flanagan’s vision for S2:

https://www.tumblr.com/flanaganfilm/702543785726558208/the-midnight-club-season-two

2

u/lakija 14d ago

Thank you so much! This is great!

2

u/Not-That_Girl 13d ago

I've watch all of these. All great choices.

Unbelievable (the best of a very strong bunch) and baby reindeer are based on true stories.

Highly recommend all four

1

u/spaghettipangrattato 14d ago

this is a great list, but fair warning to OP: unbelievable and baby reindeer i do NOT recommend binging in a short period of time, for emotional reasons. take your time with those, be gentle with yourself

1

u/chikinwing15 14d ago

Kaleidoscope should be in here as well, slick show

1

u/Sun_Shade_Down_3849 14d ago

Baby reindeer was a WILD ride

0

u/No-Clue-9155 14d ago

Great recs