Zero Day is a six-episode Netflix limited series starring Robert De Niro as former U.S. president George Mullen, who is called back into public life to investigate a devastating cyberattack. Expect a political conspiracy thriller as much as a story about hacking: the inquiry draws Mullen into power struggles, media conflict, family wounds and a search for truth amid disinformation.
What is Zero Day about?
In Netflix’s official synopsis, sitting president Evelyn Mitchell asks Mullen to lead an investigation into a deadly cyberattack. As the commission follows leads and arrests suspects, it encounters a web of lies and conspiracies. The case also puts Mullen’s judgment under pressure: the story asks what he can trust as the investigation expands and his own past resurfaces.
The episode descriptions show the plot widening beyond the initial attack. A financial shock intensifies scrutiny, a family tragedy reopens old wounds, and a new threat pushes Mullen toward a difficult decision. That progression makes the series a political conspiracy thriller, not simply a procedural about tracing a hack. Netflix’s series page provides the official synopsis and episode descriptions.
Is Zero Day a limited series, and how long is it?
Netflix classifies Zero Day as a limited series and lists six episodes. The runtimes below are those shown by Netflix; together, they total 307 minutes, or just over five hours.
#1 Best Overall
| Episode | Runtime | What the official synopsis signals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 49 minutes | Mullen takes charge of the inquiry. |
| 2 | 59 minutes | The commission investigates a hacking ring. |
| 3 | 50 minutes | Arrests trigger public blowback. |
| 4 | 53 minutes | A financial shock brings added scrutiny. |
| 5 | 43 minutes | A family tragedy brings old wounds back to the surface. |
| 6 | 53 minutes | A new threat leads Mullen toward an agonizing choice. |
Netflix dates the series to 2025. It premiered on February 20, 2025, according to the Netflix Tudum release coverage and the Netflix Media Center listing.
Who stars in it?
De Niro plays George Mullen, the former president at the center of the investigation. Angela Bassett plays Evelyn Mitchell, the sitting president who recruits him. The surrounding cast gives the political story several competing perspectives:
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- Jesse Plemons as Roger Carlson, Mullen’s former aide
- Lizzy Caplan as Alexandra Mullen, his daughter and a New York representative
- Connie Britton as Valerie Whitesell, his former chief of staff
- Joan Allen as Sheila Mullen, the former first lady
- Dan Stevens as Evan Green, a political television host and Mullen critic
Netflix also lists Bill Camp, Gaby Hoffmann and Matthew Modine among the cast. The ensemble puts Mullen’s public investigation alongside the political and personal relationships that complicate it. The full credited cast appears on Netflix’s series page.
Who made the series?
Eric Newman, Noah Oppenheim and Michael S. Schmidt created Zero Day and serve as executive producers. Lesli Linka Glatter directed all six episodes and is also an executive producer. Netflix identifies this as the first television series in which De Niro both stars and executive produces.
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In a Netflix Tudum interview published February 24, 2025, Newman said the six episodes were shot in 103 days. De Niro described trusting the writing and the people behind the show; that is his account of the production, not independent evidence that the fictional events are technically or historically accurate. Read the Tudum interview.
Is Zero Day based on a true story?
Netflix describes it as a fictional thriller inspired by real concerns and stories. Its official materials do not establish that the series depicts a specific real cyberattack. The premise draws on recognizable anxieties about cyber disruption, conspiracy and disinformation, but Mullen and the investigation are presented as fiction—not as a dramatization of a documented case.
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What kind of thriller should viewers expect?
Netflix categorizes the series as a thriller and political drama. Its official descriptions foreground a conspiracy investigation, media conflict and psychological uncertainty, with a family story running alongside the public crisis. The central tension is not only who is responsible for the attack, but whether Mullen can separate reliable evidence from manipulation as the stakes rise.
The official framing is promotional, rather than an independent assessment of the show’s realism or quality. Viewers looking for a documentary account of cybersecurity or a verified reconstruction of an actual incident should not treat the series as either; its premise is fictional.
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Netflix lists Zero Day on its service. Because catalog availability can differ by region and change over time, check the title in your local Netflix catalog for current access.
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