5 Addictive Netflix Miniseries You Can Finish In One Day

Having choice anxiety while deciding what to watch next on Netflix can be a pain. Endlessly cycling and scrolling through a labyrinth of content can be tiring, but fortunately we have some recommendations that may pull you out of that cycle. Below, we're taking a look at some of the best miniseries on Netflix, and all can be finished in a day.

Whether you're surviving a sick day or just looking for something to feast upon while waiting for other content to arrive, this list has a variety of shows that can be finished in eight hours or less. From semi-true stories about social media influencers to a gripping tale involving a game originating in 600 AD, we did our best to provide some variety in our choices. Even better, they're all completed stories, so you don't have to sit and wonder about another season that never arrives.

Even if some big changes are coming to Netflix in 2026, there's still plenty of quality entertainment to stream, and the content on this list also received positive marks from critics and audiences alike. Of course, if you're still in need of more TV goodness once you finish these miniseries, you can also see if you completed everything on our list of the five best sci-fi sitcoms of all time. We can't recommend you call in sick from work to watch these, but all are definitely worth checking out when you can.

At the end of 2025, we considered "Apple Cider Vinegar" to be one of the 12 best Netflix shows of the year, and it sure seems like critics and audiences agree. With five award wins and 28 total nominations, the series also nabbed a win for Best Miniseries at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards. This six-episode crime-drama-biography with episodes that last around one-hour and change can be rather easy to polish off if you've got the time.

Roughly based around the life of Belle Gibson — a social media influencer who lied about having a medical condition and was convicted in the Federal Court of Australia — "Apple Cider Vinegar" takes notes from the nonfiction book "The Woman Who Fooled the World: The True Story of Fake Wellness Guru Belle Gibson" by journalists Nick Toscano and Beau Donelly. The series follows Gibson (Kaitlyn Dever) as she fools her family, friends, and the world with her fake diagnosis, all while growing as a social media influencer by propagating self-care therapies.

In addition to Dever, "Apple Cider Vinegar" also stars Aisha Dee, Alycia Debnam-Carey, and Mark Coles Smith, among others. In a 2025 review for Fort Worth Weekly, critic Kristian M. Lin states that "The point of 'Apple Cider Vinegar' and Dever's shifty and cunning performance is learning how to spot and avoid the Belles of the world." Along with award wins and nominations, "Apple Cider Vinegar" holds a 84% Tomatometer score and a 73% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Even though "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners" is a prequel to the popular video game "Cyberpunk 2077," you don't need to know the game to be entertained by this stylistic anime. Game creators CD Project Red teamed up with Studio Trigger to develop this anime for Netflix, and the end result is a miniseries filled with action and eye-popping visuals. The 10-episode series has episodes running from 24 to 28 minutes, making this one possible to binge in a day. While a sequel entered production in 2025, it's also a standalone series.

The series follows the story of David Martinez (Zach Aguilar in the English dub, KENN in the Japanese dub) — a kid living on the streets of a city obsessed with body modifications and technology. After dropping out of Arasaka Academy, Martinez decides to become an Edgerunner, or Cyberpunk — essentially criminals and mercenaries in Night City. As David grows from a newbie to a gang leader, he must do whatever it takes to not lose himself.

Depending on which dub you prefer, the series also features Emi Lo, Aoi Yûki, Stephanie Wong, and Takako Honda, among others. With a 100% Tomatometer score and a 95% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences alike seem to enjoy this one. In a 2022 review for Ready Steady Cut, critic Jonathon Wilson states, "In many ways, this is the 'Cyberpunk' story the 'Cyberpunk' game wanted to tell and couldn't." Once you watch the series, there may be some things you want to know about running "Cyberpunk 2077" on your Mac.

People may not always think of Chess as an exciting sport, but one miniseries looks to change that in its own way. Back in 2023, the seven-episode miniseries "The Queen's Gambit" became one of the most-watched Netflix shows of all time, and it's got the audience and critic scores to back it up. With episodes ranging from 46 minutes to one hour and 8 minutes, you may need to set aside time for this one, but those who do are in for quite a ride.

Based on a 1983 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, "The Queen's Gambit" is set during the Cold War and follows the story of Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy). Being orphaned at a young age, Harmon discovers the game of Chess, and realizes her skills for it have much potential. However, as she grows into a Chess prodigy, she must come to terms with the cost of fame. Along with Taylor-Joy, "The Queen's Gambit" also stars Chloe Pirrie, Marielle Heller, and Bill Camp, among others.

With a 96% Tomatometer score and a 94% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes, this miniseries also holds 55 award wins and 44 nominations. Some standouts include a Best Limited Series win at the 2021 Critics Choice Awards, and a Primetime Emmy win for Outstanding Limited Anthology Series. In a 2020 review for Film Companion, critic Rahul Desai states that, "It's a terrific, emotionally intelligent hour of television — one that refuses to distinguish between the cost of sporting immortality and the price of human history."

We considered the 10-episode comedy-drama "Maniac" to be one of the best mind-bending sci-fi miniseries on Netflix, and we're standing by that. Along with positive audience and critics reviews, the miniseries also landed Emma Stone a Best Actress in a Miniseries & Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television award at the 2019 Satellite Awards, among "Maniac's" two wins & 14 nominations. This is a good pick for those looking for trippy visuals and head-spinning sci-fi.

"Maniac" follows two strangers — Annie (Stone) and Owen (Jonah Hill) — who sign up for a drug trial with a pharmaceutical company. With the experimental drug promising to resolve all of their issues with no side-effects, the two quickly learn that everything isn't as it seems as they begin to realize their dreams and consciousnesses are intertwining. To make matters worse, the massive computer running the test has decided it wants to threaten the trial.

Getting through this one in a day shouldn't be hard thanks to its episodes ranging from 26 to 46 minutes. Additionally, "Maniac" holds an 84% Tomatometer score and an 84% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes. In a 2018 review for The Guardian, critic Lauren Carroll Harris states "With grimy futuristic production design a la 'Blade Runner' and 'Alien,' 'Maniac' actually has something profound to say about the alienation of people today."

Based on a 2018 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by Trent Dalton, "Boy Swallows Universe" takes place in 1985 Brisbane, Australia, and follows the story of Eli Bell (Felix Cameron)
— a young boy dealing with a broken home life. Having a mother addicted to drugs and a stepfather supplying them, Eli's life with his mute brother becomes far more complicated as he meets his actual father and attempts to rescue his mother, all while falling in love.

Along with positive critic and audience scores, the miniseries also holds 19 award wins and 20 nominations, including a Best Series win at the 2025 AACTA Awards. The seven-episode series ranges in episode length between 49 minutes and one hour 17 minutes, making this good to binge on a day off. It may just end up being a show you wish you could watch again for the first time, but also has themes that may be a bit extreme for some viewers.

As well as Cameron, "Boy Swallows Universe" also stars Travis Fimmel, Phoebe Tonkin, and Simon Baker, among others. On Rotten Tomatoes, the crime-drama-thriller holds an 87% Tomatometer score and an 85% Popcornmeter score. In a 2024 review for Decider, critic Joel Keller states that "Somehow, 'Boy Swallows Universe' pulls off a pretty dark coming-of-age story without being depressing or hopeless, thanks to some deft writing and fantastic performances by the cast."