Zero Day Review: A Perfect and Surgical Fresco From The Crazy Era In Which We Live
“Zero Day” on Netflix you will be impressed not a little by the incredible power connected to the plot, to its characters, to how the goal (centered in full) of talking about us, our society, the terrifying situation of our democracy is bridged, whose state of health has never been so bad since the end of the Second World War. Robert De Niro returns to roar as in the good old days, surrounded by a very thick cast, he gives us a great interpretation in a miniseries with a clear but never graceful civil identity. It is an evening like many others: you have just returned home from work; you have prepared dinner and now you are resting watching a movie on TV. Suddenly, the TV turns black, the lights go out and stay in the dark. Has the power gone out? Impossible: the neighbor’s house is also in the same condition. The traffic lights and light poles have gone out. Even cars – the “smarter” ones, at least – stopped working suddenly. Outside the window, you hear a thump: a damaged vehicle crashed into a wall. Run to check but, just as you open the door, everything returns to normal, as if nothing had happened: the bulbs come back on, the TV broadcasts resume, and the traffic lights start again. In total, you spent exactly one minute in the dark.
And you weren’t alone: the whole country was left without electricity. Paralyzed traffic turned off all PCs and phones in the nation, even hospital machinery was affected. It is the largest hacker attack ever: more than three thousand victims in sixty seconds. To complete it, someone took advantage of a flaw Zero Day widespread in all electronic devices in the world. But the worst is yet to come: if thousands of people died in just one minute, what would happen if the attack repeated itself, maybe for whole hours or days? Netflix plunges once again into the political thriller genre with Zero Day, a six-episode miniseries that boasts a stellar cast led by Robert De Niro in his first real starring role in a TV series. With a setting that aims to address current issues such as cyberterrorism and the fragility of the American political system, the series presents itself as an ambitious project which, however, struggles to find a balance between his serious intent and his swinging execution.
Zero Day Review: Story Plot
“Zero Day” was created by Eric Newman, Noah Oppenheim, and Michael Schmidt, and takes us to a quiet day like any other in the United States, or so it would seem. Then, suddenly, chance, when a virus completely sends the country into a tailspin, blocking not only every electronic device but sowing chaos in transport, hospitals, city traffic, airports, power plants, and every possible infrastructure. 3,000 people die, the country is on its knees and President Mitchell (Angela Bassett), faced with a cyber-attack of this magnitude and the indefiniteness of the mandates, can do nothing but turn to George Mullen (Robert De Niro). He was also President, before resigning 12 years earlier due to the death of his son by overdose, which had destroyed him psychologically, deciding to withdraw from political life. A decision that had made him considered by many as a weak man with no character. Mullen is placed in charge of an investigation task force, with the task of finding the culprits, but apart from his wife Sheila (Joan Allen), few have faith in him. Together with his deputy, Roger Carson (Jesse Plemons), Mullen will try to shed light on who and what triggered that attack, finding himself entangled in a conspiracy with many faces and purposes, of which however it is really difficult to guess the structure, the instigator and above all what the next move will be and where the truth lies.
From the first of its 6 episodes, this miniseries directed by Lesli Linka Glatter claims its very strong connection with the reality of this 21st century, where traditional parties have completely lost their grip, in favor of other protagonists: influencers, hi-tech gurus, populism of all shapes and colors, capable of ferociously clawing at the masses and capitalizing on every emotional state for its ends. Mullen, thanks to Robert De Niro, stands as a sort of survivor of what politics was in the 20th century, with his clear and defined vision of things, Manichean if you like, but not for this reason devoid of effectiveness, of a coherence inherent in a morality that is based on collectivity. But we are in 2025, and individualism reigns, together with the disappearance (or supposed such) of the concept of truth and above all of responsibility. Mullen must move quickly, because the President, supported by the Speaker of the House Richard Dreyer (Matthew Modine), the Director of the CIA Lasch (Bill Camp), and pressured by public opinion, wants guilty parties against whom to launch her retaliation. At the moment, much evidence points to Russia’s responsibility. But as time goes by, the old and rocky ex-president will realize that the picture is more complicated than it seems and the enemy has many faces. In the meantime, he must also watch out for the media offensive brought to him by the right-wing influencer Evan Green (Dan Stevens) with his xenophobic accusations.
Zero Day Review and Analysis
“Zero Day” has a magnificent direction, but above all an atmosphere in which the essence of the classic authorial thriller shines, the one that gave us pearls like “Michael Clayton” by Tony Gilroy or “The Ghost Writer” by Roman Polanski. However, most experts will notice homages to “Manchurian Candidate” and “Seven Days in May” by John Frankenheimer. The series opens multiple paths, without ever forgetting the main one, a hunt for the culprit that episode after episode becomes the vivisection of a throbbing body: that of our world. Our democracy has been emptied by toxic turbocapitalism, by the cult of personality returning after a hundred years. Whose fault, is it? The answer to “Zero Day” is complex, and multiple but never banal, it starts from the detachment between institutions and people, but it does not spare criticism, especially to the latter, ready to shout, to give the worst of themselves when the umpteenth shrewd populist prophet arrives, capable of being a pack but never a community.
However, as we go forward and the dark sides, the complicities emerge, Mullen becomes the engine of a return to seriousness, to the destruction of the alibi of bad politics, of the ruling class that has locked itself in a fort, a castle and contemptuously looks down on others. “Zero Day” also always shows itself as perfect, and illuminating, while it scatters crumbs along the path, it leads us towards a coherent conclusion, perhaps not even that surprising, but of course, as many other times, it is the how and not the what that counts. There are no saints and heroes here, but above all the armed conflict has become that of technology, of AI, of cyber security, the very title of the miniseries refers to a theoretical crisis that is new and unknown, theorized many times. It is no longer nuclear warheads that bring the end, as cinema has theorized and shown countless times, but our now total dependence on our tech supports, and their interconnection that makes them at the same time so important and so dangerous.
Looking at how the last elections went (not only American ones) one cannot deny that “Zero Day” is a miniseries with a great civil vocation, which wants to remind us that politics is us, the State is us. We have delegated everything to our mood, we follow the first self-proclaimed prophet like a Pied Piper. Robert De Niro dusts off his old charisma with a character that fits him like a glove, which he sought and wanted also for his well-known and clear political ideas. The most disturbing thing is the final sensation of looking in the mirror, of a democracy destroyed by capital, by the inability to stop that 1% that holds our lives in its grip. For this, above all, beyond the rhythm, the magnetic and distressing atmosphere, a cast that moves perfectly, “Zero Day” is the great geopolitical story of our time, one of those series that leave their mark for the truth they bring, especially when it is uncomfortable and yet evident.
In addition to De Niro, Zero Day can count on actors of the caliber of Angela Bassett, Connie Britton, Jesse Plemons, and Lizzy Caplan, each with a potentially interesting but never really thorough role. Bassett, in the role of President Evelyn Mitchell, gives authority to the character but does not have much space to shine. Britton plays Mullen’s former chief of staff, whose history seems more intriguing than what we see on stage. Plemons, as an ambiguous collaborator of Mullen, is probably one of the most underrated actors in the series, capable of giving moments of great tension despite the writing not giving it the right breath. Dan Stevens, in the role of a Tucker Carlson-style television commentator, is perhaps the only one who looks comfortable, offering a caricatural but effective performance. One of the most frustrating elements of Zero Day is its indecision in treating its matter with the right balance between realism and entertainment. The series takes its cue from real events and figures but deliberately avoids addressing political issues with an in-depth perspective, preferring to remain on a vague centrism that risks being superficial.
Quotes to contemporary phenomena such as cyber threats and disinformation are present but are never explored with the depth necessary to make them truly incisive. With just six episodes, Zero Day could have focused on a tight and adrenaline-fueled narrative, but instead, you lose in the management of the inconstant rhythm. While some tension sequences work well, others are slow and lacking in bite, with characters moving between places and situations less credibly. Sequences that should be laden with suspense are often diluted in little incisive dialogues, and the resolution of the main mystery appears hasty and unsatisfactory. Despite being presented as a miniseries, Zero Day ends with an ending that leaves room for possible continuation. This could be an advantage if the series managed to correct its defects in a possible second season, but now the feeling is that of a missed opportunity. There is a desire to deal with important topics, as well as the presence of an exceptional cast, but without a more focused writing and a more defined narrative identity, Zero Day remains a little incisive political thriller.
Here, if there is great value of Zero Day is its ability to keep the sense of tension very high and to reveal slowly, in a fragmented but also extremely credible way, the truth: at the end of the six episodes, almost everything finds its place. Of course, some open questions remain and maybe some secondary character is handled a little too hastily, but the heart of Zero Day is that of a thriller. And of thrillers who know how to instill doubt, fear, and at the same time genuine curiosity, even apprehension, for six hours in a row there are few. On the other hand, the unveiling of truth does not take place with a great twist, but in a suffered and difficult way: every track is beaten, every test is analyzed, and mistakes are made. For most of the 3-4 central episodes, you feel immersed in a hi-tech detective investigation, which clashes with the lack of witnesses, the wrong paths, and those simply impossible to follow. Every time you retrace your steps the tension rises: a second Zero Day attack may be imminent, and decisions must be made quickly. Even when it comes to going to war against another country or using the atomic bomb.
The absence of time is one of the strong themes of Zero Day, which thus assumes a pre-apocalyptic character supported by extremely convincing situations, dialogues, acting, and photography. What comes out is therefore yet another fresco of an America now on the brink, very similar to that of the incredible Civil War, which advocates a future not too far away, perhaps even closer than that of Alex Garland’s masterpiece last year. This is because Zero Day plays on the most controversial issues that grip public opinion overseas (and which consequently also affect ours). One is that of mistrust towards each other, which becomes violence in the streets, extreme political polarization, and lack of trust in the media at the same time. Another is that of the rise of conspiracy theories and counter-information. And then there are many others, which are touched more or less directly: the abuse of violence by the police, the intense entry of hi-tech billionaires into politics- which takes on an almost prophetic character, given the news that has come from Washington for a few weeks – and still the compression of civil liberties in the name of defending the homeland, as well as the loyalty of politics towards the state and the voters.
In other words, that staged by Zero Day is an extreme of contemporary America. But a much less pushed extreme than we usually see in the cinema and on TV: the future we are told is neither very far nor far away. On the contrary, it is a scenario that in a few years (wanting to be optimistic) could come true. And that’s perhaps why Zero Day focuses on anguish, which will certainly affect the average American spectator more than the Italian one: to be afraid of the series, is that it tells the days before the Apocalypse and not those after. To make me even more afraid is that those days could be today, tomorrow, or perhaps even yesterday. To hit, in addition of course to the skill of the cast, is the frightening relevance of the series. Not so much for the issue of cyber-attacks aimed at technology which now dominates and controls completely our lives, as for people’s reactions. Dal conspiracy at fake news, from the followers of self-styled “gurus” who live on fake news and plots, the people of that America that the Presidents swear to defend leaves at least forbidden. The spread of haters that become dangerous individuals virtually is impressive… And realistic.
Not surprisingly, George Mullen confronts a nation deeply divided, where the truth is often clouded by conspiracy theories and disinformation, with sensitive issues such as cyber vulnerability, trust in institutions, and the personal cost of power. The reflections of Zero Day are extremely relevant in the current context. There is talk of digital infrastructures and flaws, of diffusion – all too easy – of disinformation and political polarization. Robert De Niro’s presence adds depth, given his historic commitment to roles that explore the complexity of power and morality. The dynamic between Mullen and President Mitchell offers an intriguing look at the leadership challenges in times of crisis. The presence of a journalist like Valerie Whitesell (Connie Britton) underlines the importance of free and independent printing in maintaining transparency and above all governmental responsibility. The series was conceived by Eric Newman (Narcos), Noah Oppenheim (former journalist in charge of NBC News, author of Jackie’s script), and Michael S. Schmidt (Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist for the New York Times): this is where the incredible likelihood of the whole plot comes from, even in the most incredible turns.
It is evident that information management is at the heart of the Zero Day storyline, and that there are people who know perfectly well how things work in the USA to write the series. The level of the script it’s very high: significant dialogues, delicate and poignant moments – like the suspicion that Mullen is no longer in himself because of some form of senile dementia – and many exchanges between the characters that you cannot forget. Thanks to incisive sentences and situations that reflect the current global concerns about cyber security and trust in institutions. The direction is entrusted to Lesli Linka Glatter, known for her work in Homeland and Mad Men. The authors, the director, and of course Robert De Niro, also produce executive producers. Zero Day is looked at in one breath, while we think about how terrifying the idea is that everything – but everything – that concerns us is somehow related to technology: communications, transport, structures, and medical equipment … After Zero, you will look at the world with different eyes.
Zero Day Review: The Last Words
Zero Day is a paranoid and pre-apocalyptic textbook thriller: with a pressing rhythm and a constant sense of tension, the series manages to keep the viewer’s attention high until the last minute, transforming it into anxiety and, finally, anguish and anger. It is a portrait of the United States today and, consequently, of the whole contemporary world. A glossy and focused portrait, sharp and without frills, which highlights the distortions of our culture, our society, and our politics. It is a series that should worry us, because it walks on a thread stretched between real and fantastic, to the point of almost seeming a prophecy about a not-too-distant future. We wrote it: Zero Day, by idea, cast, and conception, could be among the most ambitious Netflix series. A narrative that works, beyond the scenographic sense and in addition to the plot twists that, at times, seem to focus on exaggeration rather than on the coherence of the story. If the cast works (not even to say it, Bob De Niro), the pattern of a language that overturns American propaganda works above all, uncovering the terrifying truth that lies behind the world’s first power. Finally, a series for pretentious and attentive spectators.
Cast: Robert De Niro, Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Plemons, Joan Allen, Connie Britton, Angela Bassett
Created By: Eric Newman, Noah Oppenheim, Michael S. Schmidt
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 4/5 (four stars)
