Netflix’s latest political thriller, “Zero Day,” is a chilling deep dive into cyber warfare, misinformation, and the terrifying power of perception. Led by Robert De Niro in his first television series, the six-episode event follows former president George Mullen as he’s reluctantly pulled back into the political fray to investigate a devastating cyberattack. But as the layers of the crisis unravel, so do the hidden forces manipulating the narrative, turning Mullen into both a hero and a pawn. The series, co-created by Noah Oppenheim, Eric Newman, and Michael Schmidt, features a stellar cast including Jesse Plemons, Lizzy Caplan, Connie Britton, Joan Allen, Dan Stevens, Gaby Hoffmann, Matthew Modine, and Angela Bassett.
Director Lesli Linka Glatter helms all six episodes, bringing her experience from “Homeland” and “Love & Death” to craft a nail-biting, visually rich thriller that feels eerily prescient. She joined Bingeworthy to chat about what drew her to the project, collaborating with De Niro, and why truth itself is a weapon in today’s world.
Glatter wasn’t part of the development stage, but once she read the first script, she knew she had to direct it. “Literally, when I was reading it, I was on the edge of my seat,” she said. “At this point in my career, when I read something, if I see it and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’m the right person to do this,’ then I know. If I don’t, even if I love the material, I’m like, ‘You know what, someone else who really has a vision for this should do it.’”
Once on board, she worked closely with the writers to fine-tune the remaining five episodes, ensuring the story remained tense and immersive. With a 103-day shoot, Glatter directed every episode to maintain a cohesive vision. “For [De Niro], always working in feature film, the idea of multiple directors was not really an option,” she explained. “Once he and I connected, it was like, ‘We’re going on this journey together.”
Beyond the polished aesthetics and white-knuckle tension, “Zero Day” is an unsettling reflection of today’s world, especially in its exploration of mass disinformation. “The whole idea of asking ‘What is truth in a post-truth world?’—never would I have thought those would be the main questions of our time, but it seems to be,” Glatter said. “It shouldn’t be about partisan politics. It’s about looking at the big picture.”
Having spent years directing “Homeland,” Glatter knows the importance of realism in political dramas. She approached “Zero Day” with a similar dedication, speaking with experts to advise on cybersecurity, intelligence operations, and government response strategies. “We met with intelligence professionals, people in the NSA, CIA, cybersecurity analysts—because we wanted to be sure we were well-researched,” she explained. “A real Zero Day event has been used many times since 2014, but never across multiple industries at once. The moment you do that, society collapses.”
[Spoiler Warning: The following section contains major plot details.]
As the series unfolds, the cyberattack is revealed to be an inside job orchestrated by politicians on both sides of the aisle, including his own daughter, to manipulate public perception and consolidate power. Glatter was drawn to the idea of moral ambiguity, ensuring that Richard Dreyer’s (Matthew Modine) motivations weren’t cartoonishly evil. “We have extremists on both sides. It’s not just one side. So how do we bring this divided country back together when we can’t even hear each other?” she asked. “That’s why the conspirators include people from both parties—it’s terrifying because it’s plausible.”
One of the show’s biggest lingering questions is whether Mullen is being actively manipulated by Proteus, experiencing dementia, or simply cracking under pressure. “I think it’s all of the above,” Glatter admitted. “Proteus exists. The technology is real. The question is, was it used on him, or is he losing it? Or both? And in the end, does it matter?”
The finale hints that the conspiracy goes far beyond Dreyer’s faction, teasing unseen players who may have orchestrated the entire crisis. “There are many layers of this onion to peel back, and it’s not totally self-evident,” Glatter teased. “The people Mullen exposed—those are just the ones we know of now.”
With “Zero Day” sparking endless post-show debates, Glatter hopes it forces audiences to reflect on the real world as much as the fictional one. “If we don’t start listening to one another, what is the future?” she asked. “I want to believe we can come back together, but I don’t know where this country goes from here if we don’t.”
The Playlist Presents: Lesli Linka Glatter’s Film & TV Recommendation Playlist (Glatter’s Influences for ‘Zero Day’):
- “Three Days of the Condor” (1975, dir. Sydney Pollack)
- “All the President’s Men”(1976, dir. Alan J. Pakula)
- “The Parallax View” (1974, dir. Alan J. Pakula)
- “Seven Days in May” (1964, dir. John Frankenheimer)
- “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962, dir. John Frankenheimer)
- “The Constant Gardener” (2005, dir. Fernando Meirelles)
- “The Insider” (1999, dir. Michael Mann)
- “A Beautiful Mind” (2001, dir. Ron Howard)
- “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” (2007, dir. Julian Schnabel)
“Zero Day” is now streaming on Netflix. Listen to the entire interview below:
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