It finally happened. Robert De Niro, the guy who basically defined American cinema for fifty years, decided to do a TV show. Honestly, it feels a bit weird seeing the face of Taxi Driver and Goodfellas on a Netflix thumbnail instead of a massive cinema screen, but that’s 2026 for you.
The show is called Zero Day. Don't forget to check out our recent post on this related article.
It’s a six-episode political thriller that dropped on Netflix back in February 2025, and even now, people are still arguing about that ending. If you haven't seen it yet, De Niro plays George Mullen. He’s a former U.S. President who gets yanked out of a quiet retirement to lead a commission. Why? Because the country just got hit by a massive cyberattack that killed thousands and basically broke the internet.
What Zero Day is actually about
Imagine the lights go out. Not just in your house, but everywhere. Planes drop. Trains collide. It’s chaos. To read more about the background of this, Variety provides an excellent breakdown.
De Niro’s character is supposed to be this "man of the people" former president, the last one anyone actually liked. Angela Bassett plays the sitting president, Evelyn Mitchell, and she’s the one who asks him to find out who did it. Was it Russia? China? Some kid in a basement?
As the episodes roll on, things get messy. Mullen isn't just fighting hackers; he’s fighting his own family and his own failing health. There’s this whole subplot about "Proteus"—a mysterious illness or maybe a conspiracy—that makes him see things. It adds this layer of "is he losing it?" to a show that’s already pretty paranoid.
A cast that's almost too good
The lineup is honestly ridiculous. You’ve got:
- Jesse Plemons as Roger Carlson, Mullen's "body man" and fixer.
- Lizzy Caplan playing Alexandra Mullen, the former president’s daughter who is a Congresswoman and—spoiler alert—way more involved in the mess than she lets on.
- Connie Britton as the savvy political strategist Valerie Whitesell.
- Dan Stevens doing a wild turn as a right-wing talk show host named Evan Green.
Plemons is great here. He plays Roger with this quiet, nervous energy that makes you wonder if he’s going to save the day or get everyone killed. Sadly, his character meets a pretty grim end later in the series after getting too close to the truth.
Why critics were so divided
Now, here’s the thing. Even with all those Oscar winners and big names, the reviews were... well, they were all over the place.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the show sat around a 57% critic score shortly after release. Some people loved the "prestige" feel and the slow-burn tension. Others thought it was a bit too "boomer-coded"—like it was written for a world that doesn't really exist anymore. One of the biggest complaints I’ve seen is that the first episode is incredibly slow. You have to sit through a lot of talking in dark rooms before the actual thriller parts kick in.
But audiences clearly didn't care about the scores. It hit number one on Netflix in dozens of countries. People want to see De Niro. They want to see him yell. They want to see him be the "tough guy" in a suit again.
The controversy over the "truth"
The showrunners, Eric Newman and Noah Oppenheim, have said in interviews that they wanted to explore how "truth" is basically dead in the modern age. In the show, the cyberattack isn't just about crashing computers; it's about making people stop believing in anything.
By the time you get to the finale, you realize the call is coming from inside the house. It turns out a group of domestic politicians, including Mullen’s own daughter and the Speaker of the House (played by Matthew Modine), were in on it. They thought they could "save" the country by creating a common enemy. It’s dark. It’s cynical. And it’s why the show is so polarizing.
Is there going to be a Season 2?
Probably not.
Netflix billed this as a "limited series" from the start. Plus, the way it ends is pretty definitive. The country is essentially falling apart, and the conspiracy is so deep that there isn't really a "heroic" way out. Also, let's be real: getting Robert De Niro to commit to six months of filming in New York was already a huge win. Getting him back for more seems unlikely.
De Niro told The Wrap that filming this was like making "three feature films back to back." At 82 years old, he might prefer going back to the occasional movie role rather than the grueling schedule of a TV lead.
What to watch next if you liked it
If you finished Zero Day and you’re looking for that same "everything is a conspiracy" vibe, there are a few other spots on Netflix you should hit up.
- The Diplomat: It’s faster-paced and a bit more fun, but it deals with similar high-stakes international tension.
- The Night Agent: Way more action-heavy, less "prestige," but it hits that same itch of not knowing who to trust in D.C.
- Bodyguard: If you liked the "fixer" and security detail aspects of Jesse Plemons' character, this British thriller is top-tier.
Honestly, even if you found the plot a bit confusing, just watching De Niro and Angela Bassett trade barbs in the Oval Office is worth the price of admission. It’s rare to see that much acting horsepower in a single scene.
Actionable insights for fans
If you're planning a binge-watch of Zero Day, here is how to get the most out of it without getting frustrated:
- Stick it out past Episode 1. The premiere is heavy on setup and light on payoff. The show really finds its rhythm in Episode 3.
- Watch the background. There are lots of "easter eggs" in the news tickers and TV screens in the background that hint at the domestic conspiracy long before the characters figure it out.
- Don't expect a happy ending. This isn't a "the good guys win and the internet comes back" kind of show. It’s a tragedy about the end of trust.
- Check the credits. The music is by Jeff Russo, who did Fargo and Star Trek: Discovery. The score is a huge part of why the show feels so tense, even when people are just sitting in offices.
Whether you think it’s a masterpiece or a bit of a mess, Zero Day is definitely one of the most ambitious things Netflix has put out in years. It’s a massive swing. And in a world of boring reboots, a massive swing with Robert De Niro is always worth a look.
