De Niro's Zero Day Criticized Despite Star Cast

Netflix's new thriller series, Zero Day, stars Robert De Niro as former U.S. President George Mullen, who is called out of retirement to lead an investigation into a catastrophic cyberattack that has killed thousands. The series explores themes of disinformation and political intrigue, with De Niro drawing inspiration from real-life political figures for his role. Angela Bassett plays the current President Evelyn Mitchell, while Jesse Plemons features as Mullen's former aide, Roger Carlson. Despite its star-studded cast and promising storyline, critics have been largely unimpressed, criticizing the script and its overt parallels to real-world politics. De Niro's transition to television marks his first lead role in a TV series, directed by Lesli Linka Glatter of Homeland fame. The series has been met with mixed reviews, with some praising the performances but criticizing the writing and execution.