10 Shows You Can Watch if You’re Short on Time

Don’t want to commit to a long, multi-season series that you’re going to stretch out over months? The prevalence of long-form, ongoing shows can be frustrating if you’re short on time and only have a few hours or a short weekend to stream shows.

But not to fret: Netflix has a long list of limited series and miniseries offerings, which you can finish within a day or weekend. Here are ten crisp yet interesting shows to add to your Netflix watch list and start when you’re short on time.

10

Beef

One of Netflix’s best black comedy shows, Beef is a short yet gripping watch for your next quick streaming session. The show tells the story of two strangers, Danny and Amy, who are involved in a road rage incident that leads to a domino effect, entangling their extremely different lives deeply. The two get into a stretched-out feud, trying to sabotage each other’s lives. This show will have you on the edge of your seat while giving you some laughs at the ridiculous extent the two characters go to sabotage each other.

Beef won eight Primetime Emmy Awards, including acting wins for Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, and the award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. It also won three Golden Globe Awards. Although planned to be a limited series, Beef is scheduled for a second season featuring a fresh cast, making it an anthology series.

9

Crashing

For a splash of comedy on your watch list, try Crashing, a Netflix Original series. Starring and created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge of Fleabag fame, this British comedy show is a short yet extremely entertaining watch. It follows the story of six young adults who move into a dilapidated building that used to be a hospital, taking up the responsibility of caretaking of the building in exchange for cheap rent.

The ensemble navigates personal relationships, budding romance, sexual tension, and confronts their personal demons while living in their new house. They also have to deal with the transition from student life to adult life, and the responsibilities that come with this change. Dubbed as Waller-Bridge’s “twisted take on Friends” by W Magazine, Crashing has been praised by critics and audiences alike for its short yet entertaining story.

8

Baby Reindeer

There are not a lot of shows that you can finish in just one sitting, no matter how short they may be. Baby Reindeer, however, is an exception. With just seven episodes that end on gripping cliffhangers, this dark-comedy and psychological thriller will have you finishing its entire run with no breaks.

Based on the true story of lead actor and creator Richard Gadd and adapted from his one-person show, Baby Reindeer follows the twisted story of aspiring comedian Donny Dunn, who is plagued by his obsessive stalker, Martha, a lady who he served a cup of tea to while working in a pub. The story also deals with Donny’s harrowing experience with a TV writer, who influences him to take drugs.

Baby Reindeer bagged six Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards, including acting awards for Gadd and Jessica Gunning (Martha).

The 10 Best New Netflix Shows to Start Watching Right Now

Don’t skip out on these gripping stories.

7

Mask Girl

Mask Girl is a Korean crime thriller with an interesting structure: each episode is told from the point of view of different characters, tying into the same narrative. The story follows Kim Mo-mi, an office worker who, being very insecure about her looks, takes up streaming, quickly becoming a masked internet personality famous for her sensual dancing. Despite trying to hide her secret, an unfortunate incident sends her life into a spiral.

Mask Girl, which is based on the Naver webtoon of the same name, delves into themes such as beauty standards, plastic surgery, and patriarchy. It won seven film awards in South Korea and has been praised for its ensemble, storytelling, and plot twists.

6

The Fall of the House of Usher

If you’re a big fan of horror but don’t want to commit to a long, multi-season series, then The Fall of the House of Usher is a perfect watch. This gothic horror miniseries, based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, depicts the strange story of Roderick Usher’s family: the CEO loses all six of his children within just two weeks. He then invites a whistleblowing attorney to his house. He tells the story of the Usher dynasty: from his childhood, leading up to how he and his twin sister built their pharmaceutical empire, to the mystery behind his heirs’ deaths.

The series garnered more than 13 million views within two weeks of its release on Netflix, with 6 million views only in its debut week. The Fall of the House of Usher has been praised by critics for its creepy imagery, engaging mystery, and characters.

5

Maid

Inspired by Stephanie Land’s memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and A Mother’s Will to Survive, Maid is a highly acclaimed limited drama series dubbed one of Netflix’s best emotional stories. It tells the story of Alex, a young mother who escapes an abusive relationship and becomes a maid to make ends meet. Transitioning into a shelter while struggling with motherhood and trying to navigate a dysfunctional family, Alex’s dreams of being a writer stay on the back burner.

Maid was Netflix’s fourth most-watched show of 2021, and was viewed by more than 67 million households. It stayed at the top of Netflix’s Top 10 charts for 13 consistent weeks and has been praised by critics for its sensitive and careful depiction of abuse and violence. It also discusses themes such as poverty in America and the red tape of government assistance and bureaucracy.

Looking for a Short Weekend Watch? These 10 Netflix Movies Are Less Than 30 Minutes

Try these bite-sized films if you’re short on time.

4

Bodyguard

Another limited series with a short run, Bodyguard is a British political thriller starring Richard Madden in the lead role. The story follows David Budd, a war veteran coping with PTSD, who is hired to work with the Metropolitan Police Service, protecting a controversial MP. Despite disagreeing with her personality and invasive surveillance policies, Budd has to uphold his duty and responsibility to protect the MP from danger. Simultaneously, he grapples with his trauma and psychological scars as a veteran.

Bodyguard cinched two Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe Award win for Madden. It also holds high ratings on IMDb (8/10) and Rotten Tomatoes (93%), receiving critical acclaim for its storytelling.

3

Boy Swallows Universe

Boy Swallows Universe is an Australian coming-of-age limited series, based on the best-selling novel by Trent Dalton. The plot revolves around Eli Bell, a young boy who, to save his mother from impending danger, has to enter Brisbane’s underworld along with his brother after their lives are affected by a dangerous drug lord. Answering a mysterious red telephone call sends him tumbling down a rabbit hole of twists and turns, pulling him into a game of high stakes.

Boy Swallows Universe has been praised by critics for its faithful adaptation of the book, acting from the ensemble cast, and tone. It received ten nominations and five wins at the Logie Awards. The lead actor, Felix Cameron, received high praise for his performance in the series.

2

Maniac

Maniac is a black psychological comedy miniseries created by Patrick Somerville and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, based loosely on the Norwegian series of the same name. Starring Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, Sally Field, and Justin Theroux, this series follows a mysterious drug trial that involves twelve strangers who end up going on an eccentric, hallucinatory trip after the trial goes haywire.

The two protagonists, played by Stone and Hill, end up intertwining in their mind-bending visions while dealing with their demons through these surreal hallucinations. The intentions and validity of the three-day trial are questioned when things go off the rails, despite the trial promising to solve all the participants’ problems permanently.

Maniac has been praised for the cast’s stellar performances and compelling story, as well as its stunning and strange visuals. The series has some wonderful world-building and captivating characters, with the hallucinatory trips of the characters guaranteed to keep your attention.

1

Archive 81

Archive 81 is a supernatural horror series based on the podcast of the same name. The show has an interesting premise: it follows the story of Dan, who is tasked with restoring videotapes that were damaged by a fire. Working out of a remote facility, Dan stumbles upon a mysterious plot while restoring these tapes, which were part of a documentary project and dissertation by PhD student Melody in 1994. He is thrown into the middle of an unexplained disappearance involving a secret cult, and has to solve the mystery behind the tapes while finding himself in a supernatural situation.

Archive 81 was highly praised for its dark storytelling and seamless blend of horror and mystery. Despite garnering over 128 million hours of watch time within a month, the series was cancelled after one season.

Beyond these shows, Netflix has several limited series and miniseries offerings on its platforms. If you want to specifically search for short shows, a trick to use is Netflix’s secret codes. For miniseries, type in the secret code “4814” in your app’s search bar to quickly filter only limited-run shows. You can also try out “81602050” for 30-minute comedy shows that you can finish in no time.