In the streaming wars, Max (formerly known as HBO Max) seems to be leading the race when it comes to limited series. Their original content, at least in drama, is noticeably better produced and scripts are infinitely more interesting than those of Netflix shows getting released on an obscure schedule that has little to no marketing. But this doesn’t mean Max should win all the time.
If there’s a service that could give them a run for its money, it could be Hulu. Perhaps, their original content isn’t vast, but their distribution rights allow them to stream very good shows that sometimes, we don’t even know are available. That’s how we put together a list of these shows that put Hulu alongside its most powerful competitors.
Updated on October 25th, 2023, by Soniya Hinduja: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
20 Mrs. America (2020)
A brilliant limited series, Mrs. America stars the legendary Care Blanchett in the lead, which tells you everything you need to know about the quality of the show. The ensemble cast also features the likes of Rose Byrne and Elizabeth Banks, and its terrific female cast comes in handy since much of the show is dedicated to iconic feminist figures like Gloria Steinheim and Betty Friedan.
It tells the dramatized story of a poignant moment in political history and chronicles the struggles of the movement that sought to have the Equal Rights Amendment ratified. The movement faced unexpected resistance from conservative activist, Phyllis Schlafly, leading to a dramatic showdown during the epic culture wars of the period. Unsurprisingly, the show has been highly acclaimed and holds a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
19 Fosse/Verdon (2019)
Bob Fosse and Broadway star Gwen Verdon made a potent team as a choreographer and dancer respectively. In Fosse/Verdon, the pair are wonderfully depicted by Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams. Known in equal parts for their professional and personal relationship, the limited series explores their lives through both of these prisms.
A legendary pair for their dance achievements, they were known for the choreography and direction they brought to stage shows and films likeCabaret. However, despite their electric chemistry together, their time together was also often marred by the complex shifts in the power dynamic between them and what caused the imbalances. With great performances from the leads and some brilliant nods to their work, the show is an especially enjoyable one for dance lovers, with a lot of high drama thrown in.
18 High Fidelity (2020)
High Fidelity
- Release Date
- February 14, 2020
- Cast
- Zoe Kravitz
- Main Genre
- Drama
Based on the popular novel and the 2000 movie adaptation that starred John Cusack, High Fidelity takes the form of a great little miniseries this time. For anyone looking for a wonderful dose of nostalgia, the show stars Zoë Kravitz in the lead. This was a poignant casting since, for those who remember it, the film adaptation starred her mother, Lisa Bonet.
Kravitz plays Robyn Brookes, a young woman who owns a record store. Through her love of music, Robyn revisits past relationships. Obsessed with music, records, and pop culture, the show was a great rendition and plays out as a very binge-able romantic comedy. Kravitz earned high praise for her performance in it, with the show being a hit with critics and a treat for music fans.
17 I Am the Night (2019)
An enjoyable six-part limited series featuring Chris Pine and India Eisley in the lead, I Am the Night brilliantly weaved a mystery story with the true events of an infamous murder. Inspired by Fauna Hodel’s memoir, it follows Eisley as the young Fauna Hodel, who sets out to discover the truth about her past.
Since Hodel was given up by her birth mother, she intends to learn more about her parentage. However, her inquiries soon send her down a dark path as she learns the truth about her grandfather, George Hodel. Hodel was the prime suspect in the notorious Black Dahlia case, adding some great layers of intrigue to the show as it fleshes these aspects out.
16 The Patient (2022)
The Patient
- Release Date
- August 30, 2022
- Cast
- Steve Carell, Domhnall Gleeson, David Alan Grier, Andrew Leeds
- Main Genre
- Drama
For lovers of Steve Carell, don’t expect to see him up to his usual comedic antics in this one. The Patient proves that he has some amazing depth as a dramatic actor too. The show is a chilling one, and though completely unlike the usual parts he’s known for, Carell shines in the role.
It follows his character, Allan Strauss, who is a therapist who is held captive by an unhinged serial killer named Sam Fortner. Sam’s reasons for holding Allan captive make for some very tense moments since he wants Allan to help him curb his homicidal urges. Tragically for Allan, this nightmarish ordeal comes at a time when he’s mourning the loss of his wife and isn’t fully stable himself.
15 Little Fires Everywhere (2020)
Little Fires Everywhere
- Release Date
- November 30, 2019
- Cast
- Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, Joshua Jackson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Huang Lu, Sarita Choudhury
- Main Genre
- Drama
Little Fires Everywhere tells the stories of two families with radically different social statuses in late ’90s Ohio. At one point, their clash becomes inevitable, and the show gets tense enough to turn the drama elements into a subtle thriller.
It stars the excellent Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington as the two mothers leading opposite sides in a suburbs-styled war that gets more relevant in each episode.
14 National Treasure (2016)
The British drama National Treasure consists of only four episodes. Luckily, they’re enough to portray the anguish a family is forced to go through when its leader is accused of the unspeakable.
He’s a former comedian who’s now in the TV biz, but suddenly countless accusations of rape throw the family into a spiral. It stars three icons of acting: Robbie Coltrane, Andrea Riseborough, and Julie Walters. Trust us when we say you don’t want to miss this one.
13 11.22.63 (2016)
Based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, 11.22.63 tells the story of a teacher who’s presented with the opportunity to go back in time and prevent John F. Kennedy’s assassination. It appears to be an easy mission until Jake Epping starts falling in love with a girl from the past.
The miniseries is based on a script that doesn’t focus so much on the thrilling part of the story but on Jake’s dilemma to prevent, escape, leave, or stay. Of course, the plot’s dark twist is shocking: We should be certain of messing with events from the past.
12 The Act (2019)
The Act is based on the true life story of Dee Dee Blanchard and her daughter Gypsy Rose. The case is notoriously known for being the most important case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy in recent history.
The performance by Joey King as Gypsy is the best of her career and one of the best in modern television. If you know nothing about what happened, and documentaries aren’t exactly your thing, check this one out. It goes by in a flash.
11 Candy (2022)
Candy
Texas in 1980 and based on the true story of killer Candy Montgomery and her victim, Betty Gore. Starring Jessica Biel.
- Release Date
- May 9, 2022
- Cast
- Jessica Biel, Melanie Lynskey, Raúl Esparza
- Genres
- Biography, Crime, Drama
This is another true crime entry. Candy is Hulu’s version (Max has one as well titled Love & Death) of the true case of Candy Montgomery. Montgomery was the religious housewife who got herself tangled in a weird relationship with a man whose wife found out about the affair at some point.
What happened after she found out? Let’s just say Montgomery used an ax to solve the whole thing. Jessica Bielin the starring role is amazing.
10 Children of the Snow (2019)
The documentary miniseries Children of the Snow tells the story of a baffling case in which four children were kidnapped and murdered in a Detroit suburb almost four decades ago.
Police still haven’t been able to solve the case. You know the phrase often told to children, “Don’t talk to strangers”? It most likely started being used after this case.
9 Under the Banner of Heaven (2022)
Andrew Garfield’s exceptional performance in Under the Banner of Heaven is only one of many things good with the show. It tells the story of a detective trying to solve a mystery in a Mormon-based community of which he’s also part.
This was based on Jon Krakauer’s book of the same name, and it’s a great true crime adaptation you shouldn’t miss. The supporting cast is fantastic as well.
8 Devs (2020)
The science fiction thriller Devs was overseen by some because some people simply didn’t get it. And that’s okay. Quantum computing is complex. The show tells the story of an engineer who starts digging deep into the company that may be responsible for the death of her significant other.
What she finds is a project that will make her, and the audience, question things on a philosophical level. All episodes are written and directed by Alex Garland, and if you know who he is, then you probably know what this is all about.
7 Storm of the Century (1999)
Storm of the Century is probably the only material Stephen King has written exclusively for television. If you see this book in a bookstore, you will be surprised at what you’ll read.
It tells the story of a small town that’s terrorized by an evil man during a destructive blizzard. The agenda behind this man’s acts is something you will never guess. Colm Feore has never been better in anything.
6 Catch-22 (2019)
Catch-22
- Release Date
- November 30, 2017
- Cast
- Christopher Abbott, Kyle Chandler, Rafi Gavron, Graham Patrick Martin, Kevin J. O’Connor, Tessa Ferrer, Grant Heslov, Jay Paulson
- Main Genre
- Crime
Catch-22 is an adaptation of Joseph Heller’s book of the same name. It’s about a WWII bombardier who’s tired of his enemies wanting to kill him and of missions being assigned to him over and over.
The cast is one of the best in Hulu’s catalog of original content, with names like Christopher Abbott, Kyle Chandler, Hugh Laurie, and George Clooney.
5 Dopesick (2021)
Dopesick
- Release Date
- October 13, 2021
- Cast
- Michael Keaton, Peter Sarsgaard, Michael Stuhlbarg, Will Poulter, Kaitlyn Dever, Rosario Dawson
- Main Genre
- Drama
The limited series Dopesick snatched every award it deserved a couple of years ago, and it’s one of the best shows you can catch on Hulu today. The thrilling drama tells the story of different families going through and facing the opioid crisis.
It was created by Purdue Pharma when they began selling OxyContin and the government didn’t exactly care for the effects. Will Poulter’s performance as Billy Cutler prove he should be in more shows and movies.
4 The Dropout (2022)
Hulu’s The Dropout tells the story of Elizabeth Holmes’ scam as she started her company Theranos, and promised to change medicine forever.
This one is solely based on Holmes’ motivation for doing what she did and the consequences of her ambitions. It stars Amanda Seyfriedin an eerily faithful performance. After this one, you will probably run to listen to the podcast that inspired it.
3 The First (2018)
In The First, a group of astronauts decides to tackle the challenging mission of stepping foot on Mars, after the first attempt resulted in a tragedy that ended the lives of the first astronauts.
Starring Sean Penn in a very underrated performance, The First wasn’t originally planned as a miniseries because it was canceled after the first season. However, it works as a limited-run series because of its open, but also very poetic, ending.
2 The Looming Tower (2018)
2018’s The Looming Tower is a fascinating show. The story is about counter-terrorism operations in the United States that couldn’t do anything to prevent the terrorist attacks that changed the course of history in 2001.
The conflicts between the FBI and the CIA are exposed in this miniseries starringJeff Daniels, Michael Stuhlbarg, Wrenn Schmidt, Bill Camp, and Peter Sarsgaard. Yeah, a cast doesn’t get any better than that.
1 The Clearing (2023)
The Clearing is an Australian production about the real-life case of a cult with a female leader who went beyond anything imaginable to execute her plan.
It starsTeresa Palmer in one of the best performances of her career. This one is still airing at the time of writing, so you better catch up as the psychological thriller gets better (and creepier) with each episode.
