Netflix's 'Zero Day' is a Run-of-the-Mill Political Thriller

Netflix’s new political thriller, 'Zero Day', has everyone glued to their screens, but is it worth the watch? The cast is led by Robert De Niro. He plays former US President George Mullen, who, after a nationwide attack, is called to lead a committee to investigate the attack.

Other than De Niro, the cast includes Angela Bassett, Jesse Plemons, Lizzy Caplan, Connie Britton, Joan Allen, Dan Stevens, and Matthew Modine. Although the actors do justice to their characters, the plot does not do them justice. Not all of them do not get a holistic arc because of the nature of the plot; their characters have mor potential and they could have been developed in a more comprehensive manner. 

Writers Noah Oppenheim and Eric Newman have created a fast-paced plot with a dodgy mix of action, drama, and mystery. The series does not aim to provide a very realistic and nuanced political thriller, however, it takes a lot from real-life elements like billionaires’ involvement in politics and the public distrust in politicians, which makes it relatable.

Therefore, if it is seeking inspiration from real-life events and people, should it not take a more realistic and holistic approach to this narrative based on politics?

Oppenheim and Newman unfold the story mainly through Mullen’s perspective who is experiencing memory lapses and hallucinations, making him an unreliable, which intensifies the ambiguity in the plot and makes you question who to believe. Not only does it give an ambiguous nuance to De Niro’s character, it is a good plot device to push the story further away from the truth.

However, the writers have created a typical plotline about a hero coming in to save the day and bringing justice is nothing new for any political thriller. The creators could have created a more nuanced narrative and focused on a different approach to the issues of politics it sets out to highlight.

Through this limited thriller series, Newman and Oppenheim have tried to address real-life issues with politics, but maybe they should have tried to explore these issues with a new perspective.

In addition to being a run-of-the-mill thriller, the visuals of the series are also mostly dull and grey, which has become a staple of Netflix thrillers. Although, it complements the genre of the series, but Glatter and Director of Photography John Conroy could have been more creative with the visuals. Will political thrillers forever be set in grey tones?

Although, ‘Zero Day’ is fast-paced political thriller, but the limited series begs the question of how long will this genre be limited to politicians becoming superheros to save the day? Because it is a story we are being sold in real life, and we do not need it in fiction.

This article was previously published on kuwaitmoments. To see the original article, click here