10 Best Miniseries Streaming On Prime Video, Ranked

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Amazon Prime may be better-known for delivering packages than producing movies and shows, but the streamer has quietly built up an impressive library of offerings over the last decade. From epic sci-fi series like "The Expanse" and "Fallout," to comedy classics such as "Fleabag" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," the platform features hours of great content at your fingertips. But not everyone has time to commit to a multi-season journey. Sometimes, the most satisfying stories are bite-sized, playing out over ten episodes or less. 

These shows aren't a slog to get through, and you don't have to wait an entire season for them to build momentum. Prime Video has spared no expense producing brilliant miniseries that run the gamut from historical epics to titillating body horror. This list represents the cream of the televisual crop. Here are the 10 best miniseries streaming on Prime Video, ranked.

"The Girlfriend," based on the novel of the same name by Michelle Frances, may have the air of a trashy beach read, but dynamic performances and wonderfully slippery storytelling make it a delight to watch. The show stars Robin Wright (who directed the first three episodes) as Laura, the well-to-do mother of her beloved son, Daniel (Laurie Davidson). When Daniel brings home a new girlfriend, Cherry (Olivia Cooke), tensions flare between the two women, dividing Daniel's loyalties.

The most compelling aspect of the show is its use of dual POVs. We watch half of the show from Laurie's perspective, and the other half from Cherry's, and it's clear they see things very differently. The simmering tension between them develops into a full-on battle, as their contradictory viewpoints inevitably lead to a series of explosive revelations.

"The Girlfriend" keeps you guessing, leaving it up to audiences to decide whose side they're on. Laura initially appears as a protective — if overbearing — mother, and it's thrilling when she finally reveals her true colors. Cherry, on the other hand, is clearly smoothing over elements of her past for Daniel and his family's benefit, but who wouldn't be tempted to put on a good show for a new beau? Is it a harmless omission, or evidence of something more sinister? Wright and Cooke deliver mesmerizing performances that elevate the source material, making this one difficult to turn off.

"Tales From the Loop" is a stunning miniseries that deserves more praise. Based on an art book by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag, the series takes place in the small town of Mercer, Ohio. Many residents of the town work at the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics, colloquially known as the Loop. The Loop was built to expand our understanding of what's possible in this universe, turning science fiction into reality.

The pieces of tech from the Loop look like alien artifacts, but for the residents of Mercer, they're a natural part of the landscape. "Tales From the Loop" functions like an anthology series, with overlapping characters who appear in different episodes, throughout mostly self-contained stories. Each episode depicts townspeople interacting with creations from the Loop, tackling humanistic topics like aging, grief, and loneliness. A metal object predicts the length of residents' lives. Two children discover how to swap bodies. A man travels to an alternate universe. Teenagers learn how to stop time.

The show features an amazing group of creatives in front of and behind the camera. The cast includes Rebecca Hall, Jonathan Pryce, Duncan Joiner, and Paul Schneider. Filmmakers like Ti West and Jodie Foster serve as directors, and "The Batman" director, Matt Reeves, acts as an EP. It's a beautiful, meditative series with a unique perspective and a refreshingly relaxed pace.

Part Nordic noir and part dreary British police drama, "River" reinvents these genres with brilliant performances and a keen eye on the human psyche. Created by Abi Morgan, the writer of "The Iron Lady," "River" stars Stellan Skarsgård as DI John River. He spends his days conversing with his partner, Stevie (British crime stalwart Nicola Walker), about various crimes, but there's one problem: She's dead.

This is not a supernatural drama, not really. River's visions of Stevie are manifestations of his grief and depression, and he's aware that his hallucinations probably aren't a great look. He's sent to a psychiatrist to work out his issues, but the visions persist. On the plus side, his hallucinations are helping on the crime-solving front. In addition to communing with Stevie, he hallucinates other victims of violent crimes, who often give him the clues he needs to solve murders.

This may sound silly on paper, but "River" is a very serious show with profound things to say about grief and psychological distress. Skarsgård gives a powerhouse performance as a man quite literally haunted by his past. As he attempts to solve Stevie's murder against his superior's orders, he careens further over the edge. The show is more interested in looking inside River's fractured mind rather than plotting twisty mysteries, but it succeeds in the former endeavor with an emotional wallop.

Prime Video is home to one of the best Western miniseries ever made. "The English" stars Emily Blunt as Lady Cornelia Locke, an Englishwoman who travels to Kansas in 1890 to avenge the death of her son. Walking into a hostile situation, she encounters Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer), a member of the Pawnee tribe and former Army scout. Both characters are in a bind, and they escape with all their limbs intact thanks to some mutual assistance.

As Cornelia sets out to travel the West in search of vengeance, Eli joins her, intent on claiming the parcel of land the government owes him. Their collective mission deconstructs some myths about the American West, addressing head-on the violence of colonialism and the false promises of manifest destiny. What begins as a relationship of convenience between Cornelia and Eli grows into something deeper. They both long for peace and fulfillment and briefly find it in one another, but the violence of the West does not rest.

"The English" is anchored by stunning performances from Blunt and Spencer, along with a great supporting cast that includes Ciarán Hinds, Rafe Spall, and Toby Jones. Blunt's Cornelia is both uppity about the state of America and extremely competent with a gun, while her contradictions are fascinating. Whipp, at times, embodies the stoic Native American archetype we've come to expect from film and television, but the rage simmering beneath the surface gives him dimension.

One of Amazon's best miniseries is also one of the best Prime Video shows ever, full-stop. "Swarm" is an audacious project from "Atlanta" writers Donald Glover and Janine Nabers. Dominique Fishback delivers a truly killer performance as Dre, an obsessive fan of Ni'Jah, a pop star modeled on Beyoncé. (Her fan base is even called The Swarm, à la The Hive.) Dre's sister, Marissa (Chloe Bailey), used to share Dre's standom, but has since moved on. Now, Dre is alone in her obsession, and this — in addition to her lack of social skills — leads to isolation and straight-up psychosis.

When Dre asks you who your favorite artist is, you better give her the right answer. If you don't? You'll probably end up in pieces. Dre's obsession with Ni'Jah spurs a violent, cross-country road trip, as she leaves a trail of bodies in her wake, taking a knife to anyone who doesn't show Ni'Jah the proper level of respect. She's a fascinating character, and in Fishback's hands, is both heartbreaking and terrifying. You'll feel for her in some moments, only to see the monster within her seconds later.

Tonally, "Swarm" is a mesmerizing hodgepodge of styles. It swerves from gory horror to dark comedy to documentary, with an underpinning of psychological drama that ties it all together. The show's creators clearly intended to unnerve the audience with its parallels to reality, and unnerved we are.

The Nat Geo miniseries, "A Small Light," tells one of the most famous stories ever written from a new angle. This is an Anne Frank story, but Anne is not the protagonist. Instead, we follow Miep Gies (Bel Powley), who helped hide the Franks from the Nazis. When we first meet Miep, she's a directionless young woman forced to choose between marrying her adoptive brother and getting a job. She chooses a job, and goes to work for Otto Frank (Liev Schreiber), a local jam maker. When the Franks find themselves in imminent danger, Miep comes to their aid.

The series' sideways look at the Anne Frank story works well, highlighting the courage of ordinary people doing the right thing in the face of grave injustice. Powley's performance adds both levity and gravitas to the narrative. We witness her humor and desire for joy in some instances, while sitting with her despair over Nazi occupation in other moments. Her love story with her husband, Jan (Joe Cole), adds depth to the character.

Schreiber, playing Anne's father, emerges as the heart of the story. His stoicism and pragmatism conceal a deep love for his family and compassion for those around him, including the inexperienced Miep. His scenes with Miep are some of the most moving in the series. Less dour than some holocaust features but not overly lighthearted, the show strikes a well-managed tonal balance with only the occasional misstep.

One of the most underrated series of 2023, "Dead Ringers" has to be seen to be believed. Based on David Cronenberg's 1988 film of the same name, the show stars Rachel Weisz as both lead characters — OBGYN twins Elliott and Beverly Mantle. Elliot and Beverly are opposites. Elliot is an unpredictable rebel, doing drugs at work, breaking the rules, and engaging in copious amounts of casual sex. Beverly is much more subdued and sees herself as a do-gooder, though she shares her twin's fierce ambition.

Elliot and Beverly dream of opening a birthing center that will, in their words, "change the way women birth, forever." To do that, they make a deal with the devil, teaming up with the head of a Sackler-esque pharmaceutical family, played by Jennifer Ehle. Morally dubious decisions follow as the twins weigh the cost of true progress.

Like Cronenberg's film, "Dead Ringers" is a body horror extravaganza, and not for the faint of heart. Extremely graphic birthing scenes abound, and blood frequently spurts from various orifices. Due to the gender-swapped nature of this retelling, these images have a more explicitly feminist bent, detailing the horrors of maternal healthcare in America. Powerful messaging aside, "Dead Ringers" succeeds most brilliantly as an astounding illustration of Weisz's fierce talent. Her dual performance is shockingly good, and she'll have your eyes glued to the screen even when you're dying to look away.

Filmmaker Lulu Wang's follow-up to her 2019 feature "The Farewell," the Prime Video series "Expats" is another masterful showcase of Nicole Kidman's talent. The actress plays Margaret, an American woman living in Hong Kong with her husband, Clarke (Brian Tee), and children. When Margaret's son disappears, she's no longer able to keep up the facade of her perfectly manicured life. Margaret's tragedy also affects her neighbor and friend, Hilary (Sarayu Blue), a successful career woman struggling in her marriage. And then there's Mercy (Ji-young Yoo), a young Korean-American woman saddled with a family curse and the belief that her life is destined for pain.

As the three women's lives intersect in profound and troubling ways, they find themselves careening towards destruction and forced to confront truths they'd rather not face. Though Wang's series empathetically addresses the trauma these women have experienced, it's also attuned to class and privilege in a way that deepens the storytelling. The show's penultimate episode centers on Margaret and Hilary's Filipino housekeepers, Essie (Ruby Ruiz) and Puri (Amelyn Pardenilla), revealing another side of Hong Kong amidst the 2014 Umbrella Movement.

"Expats" features richly drawn characters and patient, poignant performances from its three leads (in addition to its talented supporting cast). Wang never hurries the story forward, letting these characters and their problems unspool at a languid, thoughtful pace. The result is a spellbinding meditation on grief, loneliness, and the lies we tell ourselves to survive.

Hugh Grant delivers a career-best performance in "A Very English Scandal," going toe-to-toe with his "Paddington 2" co-star, Ben Whishaw, in this brilliant telling of a fascinating true story. Grant plays Jeremy Thorpe, a closeted gay man and a powerful member of Parliament. In the 1960s, Jeremy began a relationship with Norman Scott (Whishaw), an economically disadvantaged young man whom Jeremy thought he could control. When the relationship ends, Jeremy tries to erase the past, but Norman won't let him. In response, Jeremy tries to have Norman killed.

The story of this scandal is riveting even on paper, and director Stephen Frears and screenwriter Russell T Davies bring it to life with an astute eye for what's truly at stake. When the scandal broke in the 1970s, it was in many ways bigger news that Jeremy was a closeted gay man, than it was that he tried to have someone killed. "A Very English Scandal" keeps this social reality at the forefront, painting Jeremy not as an unambiguous villain, but as someone who became monstrous by suppressing his own humanity.

Whishaw's multifaceted performance works as the perfect foil to Grant's manipulative charm. He appears quite vulnerable at first, only to reveal an inner strength that threatens to undo everything Jeremy has built. The three-part BBC series breathes complexity and even tenderness into this captivating story, and with two potent lead performances, it's an absolute stunner.

Barry Jenkins' astonishing series, "The Underground Railroad," is not an easy watch, but it's one of the most amazing things you can see on Prime Video. Based on Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Jenkins' masterpiece follows Cora (Thuso Mbedu), an enslaved woman living on a plantation in Georgia. After witnessing a horrific act of violence, Cora flees the plantation with another slave, Caesar (Aaron Pierre). They escape via Whitehead's version of the underground railroad: In this case, an actual subway system that takes them around the American South.

As they travel further from Georgia, Cora is chased by dogged slave catcher Ridgeway (Joel Edgerton) and his assistant, a young boy named Homer (Chase W. Dillon). Cora and Caesar's journey into states like South and North Carolina reveals hidden horrors outside of plantation life, while a refuge in Indiana appears like a Black Eden in the final two episodes.

Although Jenkins doesn't shy away from the brutality of slavery (the horrific act of violence in the first episode is unquestionably gut-churning), every image on screen serves a purpose. The initial lynching spurs Cora on her cross-country journey, and the violence she encounters on the road illustrates the cruelty of capitalism and false promises of freedom. Yet the series is anchored by a sense of hope that animates Cora's actions. Mbedu's performance is nothing short of extraordinary, as she projects Cora's conflicting emotions — including her desire not to feel — onto that wonderfully expressive face.