Collider Names the Seven Best Miniseries of the Past Five Years — ‘Adolescence’ Takes First Place

Collider has ranked the seven most successful miniseries of the past five years. The top spot went to the British Netflix drama “Adolescence,” which beat out “Midnight Mass,” “The Penguin” and “Mare of Easttown.”

In compiling the Collider ranking, the authors considered the coherence of a complete story, the writing, the acting, the directing and originality. It is the publication’s editorial pick, not a ranking based on viewer ratings or aggregators like IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes.

The Seven Best Miniseries According to Collider

7. “Station Eleven” (2021–2022)

The post-apocalyptic drama is set in a world 20 years after a devastating pandemic. At its center is a traveling troupe of actors and musicians who continue to stage Shakespeare amid the remnants of civilization. The series focuses not so much on survival as on human connections, art and attempts to preserve culture.

6. “Ripley” (2024)

A black-and-white adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novels starring Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley. A small-time con man travels to Italy to persuade a wealthy American’s son to return home, but gradually begins to covet the man’s life and status.

5. “Pluto” (2023)

The Netflix anime is based on Naoki Urasawa’s manga, which reimagines one of Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy stories. Robot detective Gesicht investigates a series of murders of the world’s most advanced robots and the people connected to them, gradually uncovering the events of a past war.

4. “Mare of Easttown” (2021)

Kate Winslet plays a detective in a small Pennsylvania town who investigates the murder of a young mother while trying to cope with her own family tragedies. The crime story here is closely intertwined with a drama about grief, addiction and life in a small community.

3. “The Penguin” (2024)

The spin-off of Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” follows Oswald Cobb’s fight for control of Gotham’s criminal underworld. Colin Farrell returned as the Penguin, transforming his appearance almost entirely with elaborate makeup and prosthetics.

2. “Midnight Mass” (2021)

Mike Flanagan’s horror series unfolds on a small, isolated island. The arrival of a new priest is accompanied by events the residents see as miracles, but the community’s religious revival gradually takes on a far darker character.

“Adolescence” Takes the Top Spot

Collider gave first place to “Adolescence” (2025), a four-episode British Netflix drama about the family of 13-year-old Jamie Miller, who is accused of murdering a classmate.

One of the project’s defining features is its technical execution: each of the four episodes was shot in a single continuous take with no visible cuts. Yet the series never turns into a conventional whodunit — the focus stays on the teenager’s family, his surroundings and the circumstances that may have led to the tragedy.

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