Reel Review: A Stacked Cast Outshines Topical Script in Zero Day
When the United States is hit by a massive cyber attack, the country is struck by a wave of terror and destruction. George Mullen (Robert De Niro), a former president, is requested to return to duty and lead the commission tasked with finding out who perpetrated the cyber attack and why. Praised as being the last political figure head to garner bipartisan support, he is viewed as the best candidate for the job despite some of his out of date views and experiences. As information comes to light, it becomes clear that the attack was a deliberate plan orchestrated to inflict fear upon the American people.
It is hard to conceptualize how much of our current world is run and impacted by technology. Of course our phones are glued to our hands, but the power grid keeps the world turning. From traffic lights and subway trains to hospital power and telephone lines, our modern world relies on constant use of power. By losing that power for only a single minute, thousands of lives are lost turning the country into chaos fueled by fear. This story may be fictional, but its implications and potential occurrence feels all too real.
While many streaming originals tend to over explain and gently walk viewers through the plot, Zero Day demands your attention. The incredibly stacked cast all give impeccable performances that need to be watched, not just listened to. Put your phone away and pay attention. From technology giants using their power to make political statements to internet personalities using their following to spew misinformation, the show zooms in on current issues. It even lays a heavy focus on George Mullen’s mental state and questions if he is fit to do the job he was appointed for. All of these topical issues, yet the series gives very little commentary on how to fix them.
Robert De Niro undoubtedly did a phenomenal job with the role, balancing his serious demeanor and values while also seemingly struggling mentally. That being said, his performance was enhanced by a score that did a lot of heavy lifting. Jesse Plemons once again brought incredible acting chops to the table, but his character wasn’t given a chance to fully thrive. Connie Britton was also a bright spot, but much of her character’s interesting experiences and qualities are only alluded to, not shown.
The mystery of who perpetrated the cyber attack is aimed to be the center of the story, but is distracted by subplots of affairs, family entanglements, and undefined neurological weapons. While most political issues are not simple, Zero Day tries to pack in far too much in its six episode run. The reveal of who orchestrated the attack does not feel so big when there are so many other issues at hand. The final episode does leave us with a glimmer of hope that people will do the right thing when it comes down to it, but there are far too many people in power who won’t do the same.
While this show does a great job of achieving what it sets out to do, it does feel a bit redundant in the current television landscape. Netflix itself has recently released new seasons of The Diplomat, The Recruit, and The Night Agent, which all fall under a very similar genre grouping. Not only that, but the current political climate has everyone on edge as it is, without fictional stories instilling more fear. The series focuses a lot on the idea of going back to old school values, but it seems like our society is far beyond that possibility.
The stacked cast outshines the potential genius of the script. The convoluted side plots and issues distract from the main storyline leading to reveals falling a bit flat. Zero Day proposes a lot of interesting questions but fails to deliver any real answers. Given such an incredible cast, it seems like the series should be a hit, but the structure doesn’t allow each character to develop and change as they should. In an overcrowded genre and unfortunate timeliness of the series, it seems to offer more fear than solutions.
Zero Day is streaming on Netflix.
