Like every streaming service,Prime Videohas invested a lot in its original content, particularly the iconic miniseries TV shows that audiences can watch right now. Touching upon a vast array of genres and featuring the work of some of the best filmmakers working today,Prime’s miniseries often feel more like extended filmswith sweeping themes and stories rather than a typical TV series.
There are plenty ofoverlooked miniseries that deserved more love, and though most audiences are familiar with these titles,it’s never too late to dive into some of the biggest projects released over the last few years.A miniseries is the perfect balance between a movie and a TV show, as it gets to invest in its characters, but still tells a contained story, and these works deliver.
It’s unsurprising that Prime would decide to bring the novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid to life, as it has everything audiences enjoy. With love triangles, classic rock, and explosive drama all set against the backdrop of the revolutionary music scene of the 1970s,Daisy Jones & The Sixhas captured the imaginations of a generation of readers, and now TV watchers.
Starring Riley Keough and Sam Claflin as Daisy and Billy, the star-crossed lovers whose passion for each other bounces between love and hate,Daisy Jones & The Sixrelies on the music that fuels it as much as the character relationships. While the story is exciting on its own,the chemistry between Keough and Claflin takes things to the next level.
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Loosely inspired by the dramas that follow the real band Fleetwood Mac,Daisy Jones & The Sixevokes big themes and famous fights through the lens of self-discovery and letting go of what’s bad for you, even if this comes at the cost of success.Keough’s tragic but explosive performance as Daisy is reason enough to watch the series.
Adapted from the bookThe Expatriatesby Janice Y. K. Lee,Expatstakes the world of the wealthy expat community of women living in Hong Kong and examines their role in the community through the lens of shocking tragedy. Race, class, and gender roles take center stage inExpats, as we feel for the characters, but are also aware of their privileged place in the world.
Many ofNicole Kidman’s best TV showshave been tense crime dramas, with the actress lending her talents to projects likeBig Little LiesandThe Undoing.It’s true that Kidman’s character inExpats, Margaret, is a familiar one, but the performer never fails to bring something new to each of these mothers on the edge, making their realities feel viscerally real.
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While Kidman is fantastic, the performances from the rest of the cast root the world in a more gritty reality, as Margaret sometimes drifts through life in the wake of her son’s disappearance.Sarayu Blue and Ji-young Yoo play Hilary and Mercy,the two other women whoExpatsfollows as they reevaluate their own places in Hong Kong and the larger world.
Boots Riley is firing on all cylinders as the creator and director ofI’m a Virgo,which adheres to the filmmaker’s usual brand of fantastical circumstances and interrogative themes. Starring Jharrel Jerome as Cootie, a young man who happens to be thirteen feet tall,I’m a Virgotakes Cootie on many unexpected adventures that take him out of his comfort zone and introduce him to the world.
While few audience members could claim that they relate to Cootie in terms of his height, his experiences are still universal, as he escapes a sheltered life to further his coming-of-age and shed his innocence.However, the series doesn’t stop at the experiences of Cootie as an individual, instead turning a critical eye to the outside world.
I’m a Virgo (2023)
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Balancing its satirical edge with a genuinely vulnerable story and performance by Jerome,I’m a Virgoisn’t like anything else on television, and this is exactly why the series shouldn’t be forgotten. From Riley’s visual language to the way the audience is taken on such a complex, fun odyssey,I’m a Virgois entertaining, while still asking the audience to think.
Fans ofHouse of the Dragonwill instantly recognize the lead actressof the period drama miniseries,Vanity Fair, Olivia Cooke. Also featuring performances from Claudia Jessie, known best for her work inBridgerton, and Johnny Flynn, who starred in the 2020 adaptation ofEmma,Vanity Fairis packed with veterans of the historical romance genre.
While period romance isn’t for everyone, even audiences who don’t typically seek out the genre will find something to enjoy aboutVanity Fair, as the series puts a cynical spin on the typical happily-ever-afters of these narratives.The protagonist, Becky Sharp, cares more about social climbing and security than she does about love.
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While this makes her unlikable at times, it also makes her a uniquely interesting protagonist who keeps the audience guessing, crafting a more scandalous story than we’re used to.Based on the 1848 novel by William Makepeace Thackeray,Vanity Fairmight take place in the past, but its conniving characters are ones viewers will instantly understand.
The creator and director ofThe Underground Railroad, Barry Jenkins, is one of the best filmmakers working today.When he turned his attention to television with this miniseries, it resulted in one of the best shows of the 2020s, bringing to life the writing by Colson Whitehead, who penned the original book the series is based on.
Though fictional,The Underground Railroadgrapples with a very real and relevant history,using the heightened, magical aspects of its world to drive home the enduring effects and violence of the history of slavery in the U.S. InThe Underground Railroad, the system of helping enslaved people to reach safety and freedom is transformed into an actual rail system that the characters ride.
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Thuso Mbedu leads the cast as Cora, a young woman seeking the railroad alongside Caesar (Aaron Pierre), and the pair encounter different communities and people along the way who represent the various ways that power, control, and bigotry manifest. Immediately hailed as a vital addition to the TV landscape,The Underground Railroadis a brilliant adaptation from start to finish.
Fans don’t have to be familiar with the 1988 film of the same name by David Cronenbergto enjoy the recent update onDead Ringers. While Cronenberg’s visceral thriller is a cult favorite for fans of the filmmaker, the 2023 miniseries makes some thoughtful updates, like casting Rachel Weisz as the central twins. Still, it maintains the thematic tension of the original.
Manybody horror movies have been inspired by David Cronenberg.However, the 2023 take onDead Ringersis an interesting expansion of the Cronenberg universe. Instead of simply capitalizing on the legacy of the movie,Dead Ringersjustifies its existence and examines the ethics and subversions of the narrative through a modern lens.
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Without Weisz’s incredible performance,Dead Ringerswouldn’t be half as successful,as she takes on the age-old challenge of playing two different characters in the same series. However, it can’t be ignored thatDead Ringersdoes a great job of mining the gender-flipped roles for all of the narrative importance they’re due, while losing none of the shock and horror inherent to the story.
Fandom, obsession, and the age of the internet are big topicswhen it comes to mystery and crime thrillers made today.Swarmis no exception, as it follows the young woman, Dre, and the way she ties her self-worth and life experiences to the actions of a far-away pop star, Ni’Jah.
Dominique Fishback’s turn as Dre is a star-making performance.ThoughSwarmtreads familiar territory when it comes to witnessing a young woman be taken down a dark path due to an unhealthy obsession, the series makes this subject fresh, and infuses it with the dark comedy that makes every line of dialogue sting in just the right way.
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Created by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers,Swarmshares the sensibilities of Glover’s other projects, letting us see ourselves and our own reliance on obsession in Dre. As the series progresses, the violence, tension, and shock factor grow, andthe discussions of popular culture and its pitfalls support the show’s central themes,allowing the series to endure.
ThoughSmall Axeis considered more of a collection of films than a miniseries, it’s impossible to talk about the projects available to watch on Prime Video right now without talking about the stories ofSmall Axe.It’s an anthology series of five episodesthat touch upon the experiences of West Indian immigrants in London from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Small Axeis helmed by director Steve McQueen, best known for12 Years a Slave. The series aired on BBC One in England, but came to the U.S. onPrime Video, quickly becoming one of the most groundbreaking titles available on the streamer. Featuring performances from well-known actors like John Boyega,Small Axedraws the audience further in with each episode.
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Beautifully acted, photographed, and searingly relevant today,Small Axeis in conversation with both the past and the present, using history to teach viewers about the current moment. The version of Britain thatSmall Axerepresents is one that’s too often overlooked, but it’s still familiar. McQueen makes each character and their lives accessible and emotionally resonant.
