Netflix’s latest political thriller, Zero Day, imagines America in turmoil, where cyberattacks are in full throttle. Starring Robert De Niro as former President George Mullen and Angela Bassett as current President Evelyn Mitchell, the series delves into a world of digital chaos and political intrigue. Because of the heavy subject matter, you have to pay attention to all six episodes, or you’ll miss important details related to technological corruption.
Through Mullen, the show plays mind games with the viewer, leaving them to question whether he’s an elderly man suffering from dementia or if his mind is being manipulated by devices secretly placed around his home. Since he was appointed to investigate the Zero Day cyberattacks that are causing multiple disasters nationwide, the show is mostly from his point of view—literally. If you watch the show, you have to sit through every flashback and hallucination he experiences. While the POV concept is immersive, it quickly becomes repetitive and even nauseating.
The psychological intensity of Mullen’s perspective is only heightened by the show’s disturbing use of sound and its lack of photosensitivity. When Mullen is in his office, watching podcasters bash him on TV, he gets triggered. Certain phrases cause him to experience blurred vision, hear high-pitched ringing, see glitchy sights, and hear eerie distorted sounds, which can be distracting from the plot. The show also offers some sympathy. Mullen had a son who overdosed 12 years prior, and the song “Who Killed Bambi?” by the Sex Pistols stays on repeat in his head because that was the song blasting from his stereo when he found him dead. Given how traumatizing this is, you can’t help but feel bad for him. Also, in Episode 6, Mullen finds a device in his bird feeder, which could have been Proteus, a neurological weapon, though it wasn’t confirmed.
Aside from the mind weapons, the show doesn’t provide enough backstory on Mullen’s personal life or time in office. We know that he didn’t run for president again, but the show doesn’t explain why. Also, he was supposed to write a memoir but puts it off and eventually burns it. It’s also revealed in Episode 5 that he had an affair with his chief of staff, Valerie Whitesell (Connie Britton), and had a secret daughter, but this doesn’t get explored. All these intertwined storylines feel incomplete. It’s almost as if the show’s goal is to keep viewers so confused that they stay hooked—only for the ending to feel unsatisfying.
Cyber Nightmares Brought to Life
The way Zero Day portrays cyberattacks is both realistic and unsettling, with an intensity that will keep your eyes glued to the screen. What the hackers pull off in the show would be devastating in real life. For example, they hack into the fictional American Homestead bank, leading to a nationwide financial blackout where no one can make transactions or access their money, sparking outrage and riots. Additionally, the train crashes and planes falling from the sky, resulting in 3,000 deaths, push the show into horror territory as it plays on viewers’ fears.
Amidst the fast-paced nature of the cyber assaults, Episode 5 stands out as the best of the limited series. After learning that billionaire Robert Lyndon (Clark Gregg) was involved in the disasters, Mullen and his staff bring in cryptologists and discover that the hackers are communicating in codes through long-range radio frequencies, using the phonetic alphabet and numbers for dates and times, with a one-digit rotation after every day. This moment in the episode is the only aspect of the show that is not only shown but explained in detail through the characters.
This attention to detail and complexity makes Zero Day a captivating watch for those who enjoy shows that make you think and search for hidden messages. It’s also a great choice for tech enthusiasts. If you don’t mind a slow-paced show that reimagines politics, it’s worth watching—but as for a rewatch? Not so much.
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