Best Miniseries 2022

In the awards realm, The Staircase, The Dropout, Under the Banner of Heaven, and their actors have dominated the conversation in the limited series categories. Those titles didn’t count on HBO’s Irma Vep, featuring an international cast led by The Danish Girl Oscar winner Alicia Vikander, winning the favor of more TV critics than any of them. The Golden Tomato Award here goes to creator Olivier Assayas’ sophisticated entertainment-industry satire that is a remake of his film about a remake.

The order reflects Tomatometer scores (as of December 31, 2022) after adjustment from our ranking formula, which compensates for variation in the number of reviews when comparing movies or TV shows.

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Irma Vep: Limited Series (2022)
95%

#1
Adjusted Score: 99763%
Critics Consensus: Catnip for cinephiles and a welcome spotlight for the spellbinding Alicia Vikander, Irma Vep is a worthwhile expansion of writer-director Olivier Assayas' cinematic opus.
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Vincent Macaigne, Jeanne Balibar, Devon Ross
Directed By: Olivier Assayas, Alicia Vikander, Sylvie Barthet, Daniel Delume

The Staircase: Limited Series (2022)
92%

#2
Adjusted Score: 98033%
Critics Consensus: The Staircase doesn't hold many surprises for those already intimate with the original documentary, but this dramatization brings a fresh perspective and texture to the mystery -- along with a terrific performance by Colin Firth.
Starring: Colin Firth, Toni Collette, Michael Stuhlbarg, Juliette Binoche
Directed By: Antonio Campos, Maggie Cohn

The Dropout: Limited Series (2022)
90%

#3
Adjusted Score: 98572%
Critics Consensus: The Dropout succeeds more as a docudrama than a dark comedy, but Amanda Seyfried's disquieting portrayal of Elizabeth Holmes brings fresh blood to this retelling of recent history.
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Naveen Andrews, William H. Macy, Laurie Metcalf
Directed By: Elizabeth Meriwether, Elizabeth Hannah, Liz Heldens, Katherine Pope

A Friend of the Family: Limited Series (2022)
92%

#4
Adjusted Score: 93443%
Critics Consensus: Unspooling like a slow-motion nightmare, A Friend of the Family benefits immeasurably from Eliza Hittman's deft direction and Jake Lacy's unflinching portrayal of insidious evil.
Starring: Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, Lio Tipton
Directed By: Nick Antosca, Alex Hedlund, Eliza Hittman, Eliza Hittman

The Girl From Plainville: Limited Series (2022)
91%

#5
Adjusted Score: 94202%
Critics Consensus: Grounded by a disturbingly powerful performance by Elle Fanning, The Girl from Plainville dramatizes a sordid true story with tasteful restraint.
Starring: Elle Fanning, Chloë Sevigny, Colton Ryan, Cara Buono
Directed By: Elizabeth Hannah, Patrick Macmanus, Elle Fanning, Dakota Fanning

Five Days at Memorial: Limited Series (2022)
88%

#6
Adjusted Score: 90322%
Critics Consensus: Five Days at Memorial is unflinching to the point of punishing, thoroughly recounting an absolute calamity while giving due to those who tried their best to stanch the tragic fallout.
Starring: Vera Farmiga, Cherry Jones, Cornelius Smith Jr., Robert Pine
Directed By: John Ridley, Carlton Cuse

Women of the Movement: Limited Series (2022)
91%

#7
Adjusted Score: 92149%
Critics Consensus: Women of the Movement enlivens the tragedy of Emmett Till with solid storytelling and a deeply moving pair of performances by Adrienne Warren and Cedric Joe.
Starring: Adrienne Warren, Tonya Pinkins, Cedric Joe, Ray Fisher
Directed By: Jay-Z, Tyran Smith, Will Smith, James Lassiter

The Patient: Limited Series (2022)
89%

#8
Adjusted Score: 93961%
Critics Consensus: While The Patient might test viewers' patience by overextending its killer conceit, the arguably career-best work by Domhnall Gleeson and Steve Carell make this therapy session worth eavesdropping on.
Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Steve Carell, Andrew Leeds, David Alan Grier
Directed By: Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields, Caroline Moore, Chris Long

Under the Banner of Heaven: Limited Series (2022)
86%

#9
Adjusted Score: 89982%
Critics Consensus: While Under the Banner of Heaven gets bogged down by an overabundance of backstory, its procedural through-line is enriched by a thoughtful introspection on personal faith.
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Denise Gough
Directed By: Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Anna Culp, Jason Bateman

Angelyne: Limited Series (2022)
87%

#10
Adjusted Score: 88247%
Critics Consensus: Emmy Rossum brings remarkable depth to a cipher in Angelyne, a glitzy look at fame for fame's sake where the inscrutability is the point.
Starring: Emmy Rossum, Ian Fisher
Directed By: Emmy Rossum, Sam Esmail, Chad Hamilton, Allison Miller

Pam & Tommy: Limited Series (2022)
78%

#11
Adjusted Score: 87847%
Critics Consensus: Pam & Tommy sometimes undercuts its own critique of cultural voyeurism with lurid stylization, but Lily James' performance gives this sleazy opus an undeniable heart.
Starring: Lily James, Sebastian Stan, Seth Rogen, Nick Offerman
Directed By: Craig Gillespie, Robert D. Siegel, D.V. DeVincentis, Craig Gillespie

George & Tammy: Limited Series (2022)
86%

#12
Adjusted Score: 88516%
Critics Consensus: George & Tammy may not have the staying power of the classic songs recorded by its subjects, but this biopic benefits from a pair of well-matched and supremely committed leads.
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Michael Shannon, Walton Goggins, Katy Mixon
Directed By: John Hillcoat, Abe Sylvia, Andrew Lazar, Josh Brolin

The Essex Serpent: Limited Series (2022)
76%

#13
Adjusted Score: 79397%
Critics Consensus: Distinguished by biting performances and coiling ambience, The Essex Serpent is a highly accomplished Gothic romance.
Starring: Claire Danes, Tom Hiddleston, Clémence Poésy, Frank Dillane
Directed By: Clio Barnard, Hakan Kousetta

Welcome to Chippendales: Limited Series (2022)
72%

#14
Adjusted Score: 75591%
Critics Consensus: Blessed with a twisty true story that needs little embellishment to intrigue, Welcome to Chippendales details the battle over a beefcake empire with stylistic verve.
Starring: Kumail Nanjiani, Murray Bartlett, Annaleigh Ashford, Dan Stevens
Directed By: Matt Shakman, Matt Shakman, Kumail Nanjiani, Robert D. Siegel

Candy: Limited Series (2022)
72%

#15
Adjusted Score: 75591%
Critics Consensus: Candy's sour aftertaste is counterbalanced by uniformly terrific performances, but it only takes a couple licks before this true crime drama loses its flavor.
Starring: Jessica Biel, Timothy Simons, Melanie Lynskey, Pablo Schreiber
Directed By: Robin Veith, Nick Antosca, Alex Hedlund, Jessica Biel

The Baby: Limited Series (2022)
72%

#16
Adjusted Score: 74127%
Critics Consensus: The Baby's tone can be as wobbly as a rocking crib, but its audacious nature of comedy and horror deserves to be nurtured.
Starring: Michelle de Swarte, Amira Ghazalla, Amber Grappy, Patrice Naiambana
Directed By: Jane Featherstone, Carolyn Strauss, Naomi De Pear, Sian Robins-Grace

WeCrashed: Limited Series (2022)
65%

#17
Adjusted Score: 68691%
Critics Consensus: The pacing can be frustrating, but WeCrashed still works thanks to its compelling central relationship and Anne Hathaway's knockout performance.
Starring: Jared Leto, Anne Hathaway, Kyle Marvin
Directed By: Lee Eisenberg, Drew Crevello, Jared Leto, Emma Ludbrook

Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber: Season 1 (2022)
66%

#18
Adjusted Score: 67834%
Critics Consensus: Super Pumped has energy to spare, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt's committed turn as an unpleasant tech honcho will leave many viewers feeling stuck in a particularly uncomfortable rideshare.
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kyle Chandler, Kerry Bishé, Babak Tafti
Directed By: Allen Coulter, Brian Koppelman

Pistol: Limited Series (2022)
65%

#19
Adjusted Score: 70156%
Critics Consensus: Danny Boyle's frenzied direction brings plenty of energy to this punk biography, but the rote conventions of a band's rise and fall make Pistol something of a misfire.
Starring: Toby Wallace, Anson Boon, Louis Partridge, Jacob Slater
Directed By: Danny Boyle, Danny Boyle, Paul Lee

Anatomy of a Scandal: Limited Series (2022)
57%

#20
Adjusted Score: 60788%
Critics Consensus: Anatomy of a Scandal has the bones of a good David E. Kelley potboiler but lacks the connective tissue to really work, although the starry cast provides an intrigue all its own.
Starring: Sienna Miller, Michelle Dockery, Rupert Friend, Naomi Scott
Directed By: David E. Kelley, Melissa James Gibson, Liza Chasin, Bruna Papandrea

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