Robert De Niro is one of the most known movie actors ever, having starred in some of the most iconic movies of the last 50 years. Now in his 80s, he’s still going strong. But surprisingly, he’s only now appearing in his first-ever leading TV role.
In Zero Day, for which De Niro also serves as a producer, the stakes are high for his character, a former U.S. president who is thrust back into the spotlight to lead the investigation into a catastrophic event. Zero Day is probably going to be one of the most talked about new shows this year thanks to how topical it is in relation to the current political and technological landscapes. We had the chance to binge-watch its short six episodes.
What is Zero Day About?
Anyone who works in IT knows what the term “Zero Day” means. It’s a security vulnerability that is detected but was otherwise unknown. Since there’s no opportunity for a patch or fix prior to this vulnerability being detected, the term “zero day” refers to the fact that you literally have zero days to fix it, and it has likely already been exploited.
In Zero Day, this is precisely what has happened. Someone, group, or country, has issued a massive cyberattack against the United States. When the power goes out and systems go down, every person’s phone displays the same ominous message: “this will happen again.” While the systems were only down for a single minute, it caused devastating effects, like trains and cars colliding and medical machinery failing to function, killing thousands in the process.
U.S. President Evelyn Mitchell (Angela Bassett) reaches out to President George Mullen (De Niro), a beloved former president who chose to step down for personal reasons despite having a second term in the bag if he wanted it. She needs his help to lead a new task force working to investigate who was behind the attack and prevent it from happening again. This means she is giving him powers to make sweeping arrests of anyone suspected to have information or be involved in any way. Mullen is reluctant to accept, but he isn’t given much of a choice.
Many people from his former administration re-join Mullen in the fight as he rallies citizens and uses his resources and contacts to do right for the country. But there are other things going on with Mullen that could get in the way of the confidence people have in him, and his ability to do the job. As the investigation progresses, it’s clear that no matter what Mullen does, he’s guilty of something in the court of public opinion. His every move is scrutinized, interpreted, and twisted to fit the narrative of whoever has the loudest voice.
Zero Day Review: Is This A Warning Tale?
It’s no surprise that De Niro, an outspoken person on politics in real life, is playing a former president who is beloved by all for his charming demeanor, steadfast commitment to the truth, and decision-making that genuinely has citizens’ best interests in mind. The character’s spin, De Niro describes, is “don’t dodge anything. Don’t play games. Be honest about what’s going on so that the public knows what’s going on.”
This is evidenced in an emotional monologue in the first episode whereby Mullen finds himself delivering an impromptu speech in the middle of the street. He addresses angry citizens protesting about conspiracies, who believe either the cyberattack was the government’s own doing, or the government is failing to retaliate against Russia, even though there’s no actual proof that Russia is involved. These people are blocking firefighters trying to enter a collapsed building to search for survivors. Mullen doesn’t need a podium to inspire hope, and it’s in this first speech that viewers understand why he was such a popular president when he was in office.
He talks about divisiveness and warns people against jumping on conspiracy theories to make themselves feel better. He expresses his understanding that people may not trust the government, but they need to put those feelings aside and let these guys do their jobs and give the government a chance to prove them wrong. It’s as though the focus in the writing was centered on saying, “see viewers, this is what a president should be like.”
It comes as no surprise that the acting is brilliant. De Niro is believable as a once beloved president and a man totally committed to his country and serving the people. With that said, this is the legendary Robert De Niro, after all, which means at times, you can see the gangster persona for which he has become so known sneaking its way out. All it takes is a scrunch of his face or a stone-faced look to remind you of just how intimidating De Niro can be, even when playing a mild-mannered ex-president. In fact, his reputation for playing such menacing characters allows De Niro to capture a side of Mullen that goes beyond his kind-hearted and genuine nature. He isn’t someone to underestimate, and if pressed, yes, he would totally ask, “you talkin’ to me?”
De Niro is joined by a wonderful supporting cast that includes Lizzy Caplan as his daughter Alexandra and Joan Allen as his wife Sheila. Jesse Plemons is Roger Carlson, Mullen’s former aide, Connie Britton is Valerie Whitesell, Mullen’s former chief of staff, Matthew Modine is speaker of the house Richard Dreyer, and Bill Camp is CIA director Jeremy Lasch.
The major plot twists start right in the beginning, at the end of episode one. It’s near impossible to turn the TV off and go to bed after the “WTF” moment. Advice: don’t sit down to watch this show until you have time to check out at least two episodes.
What’s most intriguing about Zero Day beyond the surface-level entertainment is that it poses questions about what’s truly the right decision for a country, who should be the one to make that decision (and who holds them accountable), and how badly can disinformation skew or shape public opinion and perception. One such instance is clear when, after a man is arrested and interrogated, there are two sides of protestors: ones declaring to “free him” and another urging to “fry him.” How do citizens truly know who and what to believe when there’s so much disinformation being disseminated and strong opinions presented as facts? It all comes down to a simple answer that will spark conversation and debate by the end.
Should You Watch Zero Day?
At its heart, Zero Day is both entertainment and a warning of what could come should power get into the wrong hands. Cyberattacks aren’t just about nefarious individuals getting a hold of your personal and financial information. Gaining control of systems could lead to disaster-level events, mass hysteria, and a country’s complete downfall. And the spread of disinformation on any side of the equation threatens citizen confidence and the ability to take down the real enemies in the face of such trauma.
What’s especially terrifying is that as true-to-life as Zero Day sounds right now with everything going on in the world, the series was conceived back in 2022, the project delayed due to the Writers Guild of America strike. The fact that it wasn’t just written and filmed based on current events, however, makes Zero Day even more eye-opening.
Overall, Zero Day is a fantastic first small screen leading role for De Niro. The cast, writing, and topical storyline will draw you in. At just six episodes long, it’s the type of show that will raise questions and get people talking.
Whether or not you like Zero Day will depend largely on how you perceive it. It’s a tough show to watch without your own political views and leanings impacting your opinion. It could satisfy existing beliefs you already have or raise questions about the harsh realities. Whatever the case, Zero Day is engaging the whole way through.