5 Best Hulu Miniseries To Binge-Watch This Weekend

The weekend's here, and you're settling into your couch and trying to decide what to watch over the next two days. You're ready to try something new and spend your time off binging a show while you eat takeout. With so many one-season series and miniseries out there, it's difficult to decide which one is worth those 48 work-free hours; thankfully, there are several amazing options on Hulu.

While many might think to check a different streamer first, Hulu has great variety for whatever you're in the mood for. Maybe you're interested in a thriller or a heartbreaking romance, or maybe you just want to spend your weekend laughing. Whatever experience you're craving, these are the best miniseries on Hulu that you can binge in a weekend. They may not be considered the best miniseries of all time (at least not yet), but they certainly come close.

Steve Carell stars as Dr. Alan Strauss, a therapist who ends up kidnapped by one of his patients, a serial killer played by Domhnall Gleeson, in "The Patient." The 10-episode thriller follows Strauss's time in containment and how he tries to get away and alert authorities to the situation. While he isn't the only person the serial killer is holding captive, Strauss may be the only one capable of getting inside his head.

"The Patient" is a gripping ride. For audiences who only know Carell as Michael Scott on "The Office," this series features the actor showing his range in a performance that is easily one of his best. You can't help but root for Alan to find a way out of the serial killer's grasp, but also empathize with his line of work and how he puts himself out there for his patients, even if it backfires on him spectacularly in this instance. Each episode keeps you on your toes, and with less than a dozen of them making up the series, it's the perfect length for a weekend binge.

Critics gave the miniseries an 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviews highlighting Carell and Gleeson's performances. "You've never seen Steve Carell as he is in 'The Patient,'" Saloni Gajjar wrote for The AV Club. "He anchors FX's gripping limited series with his finest dramatic performance to date." Carell received a SAG award nomination for the role, and Gleeson was nominated for a Critics Choice award and a Golden Globe.

Based on the book by Sally Rooney, "Normal People" follows Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal), two teens in different social circles who begin a secret relationship. As their lives continue, they move in and out of each other's orbit, trying to figure out how they best fit in one another's lives when their worlds are seemingly so different.

"Normal People" is the perfect binge-watch for those who are romantics at heart. Across 12 episodes, audiences watch as Marianne and Connell dance around each other for years, but it makes the payoff ultimately worth it. Unlike other popular romance projects, Marianne is the one who comes from the well-off family, rather than the guy being in that position. This creates an interesting dynamic between the two as Marianne blossoms socially in college and Connell struggles with social anxiety.

Audiences and critics alike loved the series, giving "Normal People" a 92% and a 91%, respectively, on Rotten Tomatoes. Edgar-Jones and Mescal's careers took off after the show's release, thanks to the praise for their performances. "Edgar-Jones and Mescal have a visceral on-screen chemistry, creating an intimacy through what's not said, in the pauses between words," Wenlei Ma wrote for News.com.au. Mescal won the BAFTA TV award for lead actor for his work as Connell.

The historical drama miniseries "Say Nothing" follows the Northern Ireland conflict, a time of unrest in the area from the 1960s through the 1990s. Specifically, it follows residents of Belfast during the period and looks into the Provisional Irish Republican Army. Important parts of the conflict, like hunger strikes and a car bomb in 1973, are woven into the narrative.

With nine episodes, "Say Nothing" is a great weekend watch for those wanting something rooted in a historical event that isn't always talked about. There are tons of series and movies about World War II or the American Civil War, as examples, so this gives history buffs a show that focuses on a different and occasionally overlooked era.

With a 94% from critics and an 87% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, "Say Nothing" has strong reviews for how well it portrays the tensions of the time, though liberties have been taken. "'Say Nothing' gives an authentic view of a time period that still resonates with the people of both Ireland and Northern Ireland to this day," Joel Keller wrote for Decider.

"Mrs. America" follows the attempted ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s. The series features important women of the time, from activists and feminist leaders to journalists and politicians, and their roles in the rise of the conservative Christian movement in the United States.

While there is plenty about "Mrs. America" that's dramatized, the core of the topic remains intact. The primary focus is on Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett), a conservative woman who was against the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Through this lens, audiences see the difficulties of her political career, the women on the other side of the movement, and the work both sides put in for their respective causes. It's a heavy topic, but at just nine episodes, it's a well-done, bingeable series. 

Critics gave "Mrs. America" a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, highlighting how well the cast does capturing the real people they're playing. "Thanks to the first-rate makeup, hair and wardrobe team, in most cases the actors strike a remarkable physical resemblance to their real-life counterparts; even more impressive is how they capture the essence of these social warriors," Richard Roeper wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times.

What happens when a woman is diagnosed with terminal cancer, divorces her husband, and decides to spend the rest of the time she has left having as many amazing sexual experiences as possible? That's exactly what "Dying for Sex" explores. Based on the life of Molly Kochan, the miniseries shows her breast cancer diagnosis, the turning point in her marriage, and how she explores her sexuality.

With just eight episodes, "Dying for Sex" is a great comedy miniseries to watch in a weekend. It's funny, sad, and features a topic that often isn't explored in this way in the media. Michelle Williams is wonderful as Molly, playing her with a "quiet radiance" and "surreal expressiveness," according to The New Republic's Phillip Maciak.

"Dying for Sex" boasts a 98% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The show receives praise for how it turns a cancer story on its head, leaning into the comedic tone instead of the more stoic one other series might take. Variety's Alison Herman writes that the project "refuses to settle for the neutered, morose mood most expect from a cancer story."