Ranking Every HBO Miniseries From Worst To Best

One for true crime fans, this French six parter was directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, whose decade-spanning The Staircase is one of the best documentaries on Netflix. Laetitia addresses the real 2011 murder of a teenager, but avoids any ghoulishness by focussing with forensic detail on the investigation itself, along with the reactions of the bereaved.

From early on, Laetitia is missing, presumed dead. The series then takes us forward as we watch the police investigate, and backwards to the difficult childhoods of Laetitia and her twin sister Jessica.

The show steers clear of sentimentality, presenting a clinical case study of abuse and the type of person who could commit a crime like this. The killer’s identity is revealed early on, and we learn about him, too; de Lestrade is bold in his depiction, allowing us to understand if not empathise with his troubled mind.

There are pacing issues (true also of The Staircase - this is a director who takes his time), but at its core is a fascinating story well told.