Robert De Niro sits atop a stacked list of impressive actors and actresses in the Netflix political thriller Zero Day in his first starring TV role. Part 24, part House of Cards, the series sees De Niro playing fictional ex-president George Mullen, tasked by the current president (Angela Bassett) with tracking down the perpetrators behind a devastating cyberattack that killed thousands and caused nationwide unrest. Created and executive produced by Eric Newman (Narcos) along with Noah Oppenheim (Jackie) and Pulitzer Prize winner Michael S. Schmidt, the interesting subject matter and an absolute banger of an ensemble cast of this overall ho-hum political thriller is only occasionally good enough to hold your attention during the limited series’ six-episode run.
Mullen and his family are at the core of Zero Day and their history and allegiances are part of the unfolding mystery. De Niro is reliably good in a role that doesn’t really ask of him to do much other than be himself in a default De Niro role. Lizzy Caplan is particularly terrific as George’s daughter Alexandra, a firey congresswoman who has distanced herself from her father’s political views. Joan Allen is equally magnetic as George’s wife Sheila but is severely short-changed in plot relevancy, and serves most as a comforting figure in a story full of characters to mistrust.
Aside from the Mullens, Zero Day introduces a web of characters from all over the political landscape vying to protect their secrets and bolster their political power. The powerhouse ensemble including Connie Britton, Matthew Modine, Jesse Plemons, Clark Gregg and many more that see their characters swirl around George as the mystery unfolds. Therein lies one of the series’ inherent problems: with so many characters that need time to be developed, their secrets are revealed and their arcs are complete before audiences have time to get to know and care (or hate) them in the short six-episode run.
Dan Stevens is the exception in a stand-out role as Evan Green, the easy to hate political TV personality that is an amalgam of many “talking head” blowhards currently clogging up the 24 hour news cycle on TV. Green is an immediate antagonist to Mullen, giving an early “villain” to root against for the morally centered former president, but the series does a commendable job of keeping most of its characters in a morally gray area – there are few true heroes and villains and that becomes clear as motivations and backstories are revealed.
The themes floating around the series are intriguing to explore and the ramifications of cyberattacks and misinformation via TV, social media etc. is as real and frightening as ever. But Zero Day only scratches the surface of these ideas and never hits hard enough to make a real emotional or psychological impact. While it still migh be worth the short binge for some, series like the Netflix’s aforementioned House of Cards had teeth and spent time building up its characters in order to tear them down. Zero Day spends what equates to a long weekend with its incredible cast – and that’s not enough to give its twists or surprises any real, lasting weight.
Score: 2.5 out 5