Five limited series to binge on Netflix this weekend
Not every Netflix binge has to be a ten-season commitment, right? Some of the best shows you’ll ever watch are the ones that finish in one sitting. The ones where you are so invested that you eat and breathe that show, and most importantly, they end after a season. And Netflix is quite aware of its viewers’ limited series obsession, so we decided we’d pick the five best for you.
Disclaimer: this list is not for the faint of heart. We are talking international masterpieces and storylines that will have you rethink your own existence. Unfortunately, many a time, such titles slip past the algorithm but deserve a permanent spot in your Recently Watched.
So no, you don’t need to scroll through Netflix for the next hour. You just need to trust that if something’s got a strange town or a gruesome crime or a lab experiment gone wrong, we are clicking play and not moving for hours.
Let’s begin the watch party, people.
Five limited series to binge on Netflix this weekend
Toxic Town (2024)
You don’t expect Netflix to come out swinging with a gritty British drama based on true events, but since exceptions always exist, we have got you, Toxic Town. Set in Corby, this limited series takes you deep into the toxic waste scandal that shook an entire community. It’s so devastating to watch it. Kind of like Erin Brockovich, and it forces you to sit with the guilt and grief and fury of the families who suffered and then fought back.
You are watching courtrooms and council rooms, but it’s the mothers and kids who drive this thing. They are not here to entertain. They are here to be heard. You start realising by episode two that this isn’t just a scandal; it’s a system. Toxic Town earns every minute of your attention and leaves a mark once it’s done.
The Åre Murders (2024)
This Swedish thriller is cold with a capital C in every sense of the word. You have got murders in a snowy ski resort town, and a traumatised detective pulled out of early retirement. Here, secrets don’t just hide; they freeze. And if you are watching The Åre Murders thinking it’s clever, you are wrong. It’s brutal, absolutely, and highly addictive, especially when you start piecing together who is lying and who is just protecting something worse.
The beauty of it is that you don’t need to understand Swedish to get what’s going on. Here, the silence says more than the subtitles ever could. And mind you, it is not a show that gives easy answers. And just when you think you have figured it out, it pivots… violently. So if you are into crime stories with an atmosphere so thick you feel it pressing on your neck, this is a binge you won’t regret.
The Dead Girls (Las Muertas) (2024)
Based on true events, this Mexican limited series has to be a must-watch for everyone. Surprisingly, such gems are recommended by Netflix every once in a while. Set in 1980s Mexico, it follows a group of women lured into a twisted house under the guise of work, only to vanish. The Dead Girls tells their story through the eyes of those who tried to speak out and got silenced for it. It’s more than just a crime drama. It’ll give you a stomachache.
The way this show handles power and misogyny is infuriating and impossible to look away from. The details are chilling, but what stays with you are the faces. You remember the girls. You remember their names. This isn’t a comfortable binge but more like a wake-up call. But it is also so well-made that once you start, you’ll want to finish it in one sitting.
Mystery Lab (Mundo Mistério) (2020)
Okay, hear me out. A Brazilian science show hosted by a YouTuber sounds like the last thing you’d watch on a weekend. But Mystery Lab is straight-up fun. It asks questions you never thought to ask, like, could a zombie apocalypse actually happen? And then it answers them in a way that’s both hilarious and surprisingly informative.
You don’t need a science background. You just need curiosity and maybe a little caffeine. The show blends experiments and pop culture in a way that feels like school, but with your teacher being actually cool. It’s dubbed in English if you don’t know Portuguese, and it’s short enough to fly through.
Blood Sisters (2022)
This story comes from Lagos, where you are dropped into a wedding gone horribly wrong, and you are then compelled to hold your breath. It’s a Nigerian thriller with serious teeth. The bride’s groom winds up dead, and it’s not easy to guess what happens after. And it’s not just a murder mystery, but it lets you flirt with betrayal, corruption, and also the city.
Blood Sisters will help you realise what it means to watch a raw story. You are not watching two women run from a crime. Instead, you are watching them run toward freedom and survival. And the deeper it gets, the more you realise the title isn’t just metaphorical. The tension is real, and the ending? Satisfying in a way that leaves you wanting another round. It’s only four episodes, but it packs more emotion than most ten-episode shows.