Best HBO Max Series You Can Finish in a Day

If you want something satisfying without a multi-week commitment, these short series make it easy to start and finish in one sitting. Most run four to eight episodes or use half-hour installments, so you can line them up for a single binge. You’ll also see where each show originally aired, since Max collects titles from HBO and partner networks. Queue one up, check the runtime, and you’re set for a complete story before bedtime.

‘Chernobyl’ (2019)

This five-part drama recounts the 1986 nuclear disaster and the investigation that followed. The total runtime is about five and a half hours, which fits neatly into a single day. It originally aired on HBO and was created by Craig Mazin with direction by Johan Renck. Jared Harris and Stellan Skarsgård lead the cast, and the production uses real locations and period detail to track the incident and cleanup.

‘Mare of Easttown’ (2021)

This seven-episode crime drama runs roughly seven hours in total. It follows a small-town detective working a local murder case while navigating family pressures. The series premiered on HBO and was created by Brad Ingelsby with episodes directed by Craig Zobel. It features Kate Winslet in the lead and uses Pennsylvania locations for an authentic setting.

‘The Undoing’ (2020)

This six-episode limited series totals about five and a half hours. It centers on a therapist whose life unravels after a violent death and a missing spouse. The show debuted on HBO, created by David E. Kelley and directed by Susanne Bier. Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant star, and the story unfolds across New York City’s legal and social circles.

‘Olive Kitteridge’ (2014)

Told in four feature-length parts, this adaptation runs roughly four hours and fifteen minutes. It follows a retired schoolteacher and her family across several decades. The miniseries aired on HBO and adapts Elizabeth Strout’s Pulitzer Prize–winning book. Frances McDormand and Richard Jenkins headline the cast, with Lisa Cholodenko directing.

‘Show Me a Hero’ (2015)

This six-episode historical drama runs about six hours. It covers a late-1980s fight over federally mandated housing in Yonkers. The series aired on HBO and was created by David Simon and William F. Zorzi. Oscar Isaac stars as the mayor, and the production recreates city politics, court rulings, and community meetings of the period.

‘I May Destroy You’ (2020)

Twelve half-hour episodes add up to around six hours. It follows a writer processing a traumatic night while balancing friendships and a career. The series is a co-production with BBC One and aired in the United States on HBO. Michaela Coel created and stars, and the show uses London settings to track the investigation and its aftermath.

‘Years and Years’ (2019)

This six-episode future-set family saga runs about five and a half hours. It follows the Lyons family as the United Kingdom shifts through political and technological upheavals. It originally aired on BBC One and was presented stateside by HBO. Emma Thompson and Russell Tovey lead the ensemble, and the timeline jumps ahead in each episode to show rapid change.

‘The Plot Against America’ (2020)

This six-part adaptation runs just over five and a half hours. It reimagines a 1940s America under an isolationist administration and tracks one New Jersey family. The miniseries aired on HBO and adapts Philip Roth’s novel. David Simon and Ed Burns developed the series, which uses period detail across Newark and New York.

‘We Own This City’ (2022)

Six episodes total roughly six hours. The show chronicles the Baltimore Police Gun Trace Task Force scandal through parallel investigations and court records. It aired on HBO and was developed by David Simon and George Pelecanos. The production draws from Justin Fenton’s nonfiction book and uses on-location shooting around Baltimore.

‘Mildred Pierce’ (2011)

This five-part adaptation runs a little over five hours. It follows a single mother’s path from separation to restaurant owner amid 1930s California. The series aired on HBO and adapts James M. Cain’s novel. Kate Winslet and Evan Rachel Wood star, and Todd Haynes directs with a focus on period costume and music.

‘Angels in America’ (2003)

Presented in two parts across six chapters, the runtime is roughly six hours. The story interweaves lives touched by the AIDS crisis in mid-1980s New York. The miniseries aired on HBO and adapts Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer-winning stage work. The cast includes Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, and Emma Thompson, with Mike Nichols directing.

‘The Third Day’ (2020)

This six-episode folk-mystery runs about five and a half hours. It tracks two visitors to a coastal island community and explores seasonal rituals across separate arcs. The series was a co-production with Sky and aired on HBO in the United States. Jude Law and Naomie Harris star, and the show includes a live special that complements the main episodes.

‘Station Eleven’ (2021–2022)

Ten episodes at roughly an hour each land near the ten-hour mark, which can still fit inside a long day. It follows a troupe of performers and survivors connected by a graphic novel after a pandemic. The series premiered as an HBO Max original with production across Chicago and Canada. It adapts Emily St. John Mandel’s book and uses a split-timeline structure.

‘Irma Vep’ (2022)

This eight-episode meta-drama runs about six and a half hours. It follows an American actress in Paris remaking a silent serial and blurring lines between role and reality. The show aired on HBO, created and directed by Olivier Assayas. Alicia Vikander stars, and the series references the 1915 serial and prior film adaptations.

‘The Staircase’ (2022)

This eight-episode true-crime drama runs about seven hours. It dramatizes a novelist’s case involving the death of his wife and the legal battles that followed. The series premiered on HBO Max and draws on existing documentary material. Colin Firth and Toni Collette lead the cast, and episodes cover investigation, trial strategy, and appeals.

‘The Baby’ (2022)

Eight half-hour episodes total about four hours. It follows a woman whose life is upended by a mysterious infant that fixes itself to her. The series aired on HBO in the United States with production in the United Kingdom. The creative team includes Siân Robins-Grace and Lucy Gaymer, and the show balances character study with supernatural elements.

‘The Night Of’ (2016)

This eight-episode legal drama runs around eight hours. It follows a college student charged with murder and the criminal justice system that surrounds him. The series aired on HBO and was created by Richard Price and Steven Zaillian. Riz Ahmed and John Turturro star, and the production draws from a British original.

‘McMillion$’ (2020)

Six episodes add up to roughly five and a half hours. This docuseries traces the fraud scheme that targeted the fast-food Monopoly promotion in the 1990s and early 2000s. It aired on HBO and uses interviews with investigators, participants, and company officials. The narrative follows the FBI inquiry from tip-off to indictments.

‘The Jinx’ (2015)

Six episodes total about four and a half hours. The docuseries examines the life of real estate heir Robert Durst and the cases tied to him. It originally aired on HBO and combines interviews, archival material, and recorded conversations. The structure moves through decades of events to piece together timelines and statements.

‘Allen v. Farrow’ (2021)

Four episodes make for a concise four-hour watch. This docuseries covers the family’s history, allegations, and court filings with archival footage and interviews. It aired on HBO and includes legal documents, recordings, and contemporaneous reporting. The episodes map out relationships, custody proceedings, and media coverage.

‘The Defiant Ones’ (2017)

Four episodes run about four and a half hours. The docuseries chronicles the careers of Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre and the formation of a major music partnership. It aired on HBO and includes studio footage and interviews across decades. The series covers label deals, artist development, and technology ventures.

‘I’ll Be Gone in the Dark’ (2020)

Six episodes plus a follow-up special run around six hours. It explores Michelle McNamara’s investigation into the Golden State Killer and the breakthroughs that followed. The series aired on HBO and features archival materials, interviews, and case files. It tracks the timeline from blog posts to DNA evidence and arrest.

‘Over the Garden Wall’ (2014)

Ten chapters at about eleven minutes each add up to under two hours. This animated miniseries follows two brothers passing through a mysterious woodland. It originally aired on Cartoon Network and streams on Max as a concise storybook-style watch. The voice cast includes Elijah Wood and Melanie Lynskey, and the music leans into early American influences.

‘Primal’ (2019–2022)

Each season’s ten episodes run about twenty-two minutes each, so a season fits into a four-hour block. This animated series follows a prehistoric duo surviving hostile environments without dialogue. It aired on Adult Swim and is available on Max with two complete seasons. Creator Genndy Tartakovsky uses bold visuals and sound design to carry the narrative.

‘It’s a Sin’ (2021)

Five episodes total roughly four hours. The drama follows a group of friends in 1980s London as the AIDS crisis reshapes their lives. It originally aired on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom and streamed in the United States on HBO Max. Russell T Davies created the series, and the production spans multiple years with music from the era.

‘Sharp Objects’ (2018)

This eight-episode limited series runs about eight hours in total. It follows a reporter who returns to her hometown to cover two missing girls and uncovers family history along the way. The show aired on HBO with Jean-Marc Vallée directing all episodes. The production filmed extensively in Georgia and California and uses a single timeline with flashbacks to build the case details.

‘Watchmen’ (2019)

This nine-episode continuation of the graphic novel runs close to nine hours. It tracks a masked detective unit in Tulsa after an attack that reshapes police procedures. The series aired on HBO and was created by Damon Lindelof. It uses original characters alongside legacy figures and includes historical sequences tied to Oklahoma locations.

‘True Detective: Night Country’ (2024)

This six-episode season runs around six hours. It follows detectives investigating a vanished group of researchers in a remote Alaskan town. The season aired on HBO with Issa López serving as showrunner and director. Filming took place in Iceland to replicate Arctic conditions and the story uses a single winter setting.

‘Generation Kill’ (2008)

This seven-part miniseries runs about seven and a half hours. It follows a Marine Recon battalion during the opening weeks of the Iraq War. The series aired on HBO and adapts Evan Wright’s nonfiction book. It was filmed in multiple African locations that stood in for Iraq and uses military advisors to stage convoys and engagements.

‘Band of Brothers’ (2001)

This ten-episode World War II miniseries runs roughly ten hours. It covers Easy Company from training to the end of the European campaign. The series aired on HBO and was produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Filming used large backlot sets in England with technical guidance from surviving veterans.

‘The Pacific’ (2010)

This ten-episode companion piece runs about ten hours. It follows three Marines through major battles across the Pacific theater. The series aired on HBO with production in Australia and extensive battlefield staging. It draws from memoirs by Robert Leckie and Eugene Sledge and includes detailed unit movements.

‘Scenes from a Marriage’ (2021)

This five-episode adaptation runs about five hours. It follows a couple over several years as work and family pressures test their relationship. The series aired on HBO with Hagai Levi as creator and director. Filming took place in New York and the episodes use long takes to capture extended conversations.

‘Love & Death’ (2023)

This seven-episode true-crime limited series runs roughly seven hours. It follows a Texas investigation into a suburban killing and the trials that followed. The show premiered as a Max Original with production support from Texas and Georgia units. The narrative draws from contemporary articles and a nonfiction book about the case.

‘Full Circle’ (2023)

This six-episode crime drama runs about six hours. It follows a botched kidnapping that exposes a decades-old incident linking several families. The series premiered as a Max Original and was created by Steven Soderbergh and Ed Solomon. Filming took place in New York City and Guyana and the story moves between the two locations.

‘Landscapers’ (2021)

This four-part series runs close to four hours. It follows the investigation of two bodies discovered in a suburban garden and the couple tied to the case. The show was a co-production with Sky and streamed in the United States on HBO Max. It stars Olivia Colman and David Thewlis and uses staged interviews within the narrative.

‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ (2022)

This six-episode adaptation runs about six hours. It follows a couple whose lives intersect out of order due to involuntary time travel. The series aired on HBO with Steven Moffat as creator. Filming took place around New York State and Chicago stand-ins and the episodes trace the relationship through multiple ages.

‘Our Boys’ (2019)

This ten-episode series runs around ten hours. It follows investigations and legal actions after kidnappings and a murder in Jerusalem. The show aired on HBO in partnership with Keshet Studios. It was filmed in Israel and uses multilingual dialogue to track separate police teams and families.

‘The Case Against Adnan Syed’ (2019)

This four-episode docuseries runs about four hours. It examines court filings, forensic reviews, and interviews linked to a Baltimore murder case. The series aired on HBO and includes newly obtained materials and follow-up investigations. Episodes move from early appeals to later hearings and evidence reanalysis.

‘Q: Into the Storm’ (2021)

This six-part docuseries runs roughly six hours. It follows the origins of an online movement through interviews, site archives, and platform operators. The series aired on HBO and includes filming in the United States and abroad. The production documents platform ownership changes and server migrations that affected access.

‘The Investigation’ (2020)

This six-episode Danish series runs about six hours. It follows the Copenhagen police and prosecutors working a high-profile missing persons case. The show aired on HBO in the United States after premiering on DR1. It reconstructs timelines through interviews, forensics, and maritime searches without depicting the crime itself.

Share your favorite one-day binges on Max in the comments and let everyone know which series you finished in a single sitting.