Top 10 short series to watch on netflix in 2024

With so many shows vying for your attention, it can be tough to know where to start. If you’re looking for something you can binge-watch in a weekend, here are the top 10 short series on Netflix to watch in 2024:

• The Midnight Club (10 episodes). Based on the Christopher Pike novel of the same name, this coming-of-age horror series follows eight terminally ill teenagers who make a pact that the first to die will send a sign from beyond the grave.

Genre: Coming-of-age horror mystery

Based on: The 1994 novel of the same name by Christopher Pike

Plot: 

The story takes place at Brightcliffe Hospice, a mysterious manor house that caters to terminally ill young adults. Eight teenagers from various backgrounds find themselves residing at Brightcliffe, each facing their own mortality.

Central Theme:

The series explores themes of death, grief, hope, and the power of friendship in the face of insurmountable odds. The teenagers form a secret pact, “The Midnight Club,” where they meet every night at midnight to tell each other scary stories. They also make a chilling promise: the first of them to die will attempt to contact the others from beyond the grave.

• Arcane (9 episodes). This visually stunning animated series based on the League of Legends video game franchise is set in the utopian city of Piltover and the undercity of Zaun. It follows the stories of several characters, including two sisters, Vi and Jinx, who find themselves on opposite sides of a war between the two cities.

Genre: Action-adventure, Sci-fi, Steampunk

Number of Seasons: 1 (Season 2 confirmed for release in November 2024)

Story:

Arcane takes place in Piltover, a utopian city powered by a magical substance known as Hextech. Beneath Piltover lies the undercity of Zaun, a harsh and polluted environment where those who can’t afford Hextech technology struggle to survive.

The story follows two central characters, Vi and Jinx, who are sisters but find themselves on opposite sides of a growing conflict between Piltover and Zaun. Vi, a skilled fighter and protector of those in Zaun, becomes entangled in a criminal plot that threatens to escalate the tensions between the two cities. Jinx, a brilliant but unstable inventor, gets caught in the crossfire and undergoes a transformation that sets her on a path of vengeance.

• The Chair (6 episodes). This comedy-drama series stars Sandra Oh as Ji-Yoon Kim, the first woman of color to chair the English department at a prestigious university.

Genre: Comedy-Drama

Number of Seasons: 1 (Renewal status yet to be announced)

Story:

The series follows Ji-Yoon Kim as she navigates the challenges of being the new chair of the English department. She faces a variety of issues, including departmental politics, faculty conflicts, budget cuts, and the changing landscape of higher education.

One major challenge is dealing with Bill Dobson, a popular but controversial professor accused of making inappropriate comments to a student. Ji-Yoon must decide whether to protect Bill’s tenure or prioritize student well-being.

• Russian Doll (8 episodes). Natasha Lyonne stars in this mind-bending dramedy about a woman who keeps reliving the same night over and over again.

Genre: Dramedy, Mystery, Sci-Fi (light elements)

Number of Seasons: 2 (Season 1 released in 2019, Season 2 released in 2022)

Story:

The series follows Nadia Vulvokov as she keeps reliving the same night over and over again. Stuck in a time loop, she wakes up in her friend’s bathroom on her 36th birthday party only to die at the end of the night, restarting the loop. As Nadia grapples with the absurdity of her situation, she tries to understand why she’s trapped and how to break the cycle.

• Squid Game (9 episodes). This international sensation is a dark Korean drama following a group of people down on their luck who are invited to compete in a deadly children’s game for a chance to win a life-changing amount of money.

Genre: Dark Drama, Thriller, Survival

Number of Seasons: 1 (Season 2 officially confirmed)

Plot:

Squid Game follows a group of down-on-their-luck individuals, all facing crippling debt and despair. They receive a mysterious invitation to participate in a children’s game competition with a shocking twist: the games are deadly, and the losers are eliminated permanently. The sole survivor wins a life-changing sum of money, enough to solve all their financial woes.

• Unbelievable (8 episodes). This powerful drama is based on a true story about two detectives who investigate a series of sexual assaults and uncover a disturbing pattern of denial by law enforcement.

Genre: Drama, Crime

Number of Seasons: Miniseries (1 Season, 8 Episodes)

Plot:

Unbelievable intertwines two seemingly unrelated narratives:

Mare Sheehan (Toni Collette) and Grace Rasmussen (Kaitlyn Dever): Two female detectives in Colorado investigate a series of sexual assaults with disturbing similarities. However, their pursuit of justice is challenged by the victim’s initial retraction of the accusation.

Marie Adler (Danielle Macdonald): A teenager in Washington reports being raped, but the police doubt her story and pressure her to recant. She’s labeled a liar and left to deal with the trauma alone.

• Maniac (10 episodes). This mind-bending dark comedy stars Jonah Hill and Emma Stone as two strangers who volunteer for a mysterious pharmaceutical trial that promises to fix their problems but has some mind-altering side effects.

Genre: Dark Comedy, Psychological Drama, Sci-Fi

Number of Seasons: 1 Miniseries (10 Episodes)

Plot:

Maniac follows two troubled strangers, Owen Milgrim (Jonah Hill) and Annie Landsberg (Emma Stone), who volunteer for a mysterious pharmaceutical trial. 

The trial promises to fix their problems by administering a series of mind-altering drugs. Each episode takes viewers on a journey through the characters’ altered realities, exploring different genres and themes. 

These realities can be anything from a noir detective story to a futuristic love affair, all colored by the effects of the drugs.

• The Haunting of Hill House (10 episodes). This horror series is not for the faint of heart. It follows the five members of the Crain family who grow up in a haunted house and the events that continue to haunt them in the present day.

Genre: Horror, Drama, Psychological Thriller

Number of Seasons: Miniseries (1 Season, 10 Episodes)

Plot:

The story follows the Crain family, five siblings who grew up in a large, imposing house known as Hill House. The house is steeped in a dark history and harbors malevolent forces that torment the family during their childhood. 

Years later, the adult Crain siblings are forced to reunite at Hill House after a tragic event. The reunion brings back repressed memories of their childhood experiences and forces them to confront the lingering emotional and psychological trauma caused by the house.

• The OA (8 episodes). This mind-bending mystery series follows Prairie Johnson, a blind woman who returns home after disappearing seven years earlier. She claims to have been held captive and now has her sight back, but no one believes her story.

Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Drama, Fantasy (touches upon)

Number of Seasons: 2 (Canceled after Season 2)

Plot:

Prairie Johnson (Brit Marling), a young blind woman who disappeared seven years earlier, reappears mysteriously. Now calling herself “The OA,” she can inexplicably see again. 

She reveals a fantastical story of captivity with other people, involving near-death experiences and a journey to a dimension called “D OA.” However, no one believes her story, including her parents. 

The OA gathers a group of five teenagers and begins to teach them movements that she claims will help them open a portal to another dimension.

• Crash Landing on You (16 episodes). This South Korean romantic comedy tells the story of a wealthy South Korean businesswoman who accidentally paraglides into North Korea and falls in love with a North Korean army captain. While it is a bit longer than some of the other shows on this list, the episodes are still relatively short and the story is addictive.

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Drama

Number of Seasons: 1 Season (16 Episodes)

Plot:

Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin), a wealthy South Korean businesswoman, accidentally paraglides across the border into North Korea due to a strong wind gust.  

There, she encounters Captain Ri Jeong-hyuk (Hyun Bin), a stoic North Korean officer who is duty-bound to protect her and keep her hidden.  Despite their contrasting backgrounds and ideologies, Se-ri and Jeong-hyuk develop an unexpected connection.

Summary

These are just a few of the many great short series available on Netflix. With so many options to choose from, you’re sure to find something that you’ll love. Happy binge-watching!