Jour Zéro

The main premise of this show is that of the review title.

It's an engaging thriller that makes some intriguing points and by all means, does it well. It peaks your interest and it does it through top acting and reasonably good cinematography.

But what it isn't is anything more. Potential strong plot points are either undone by sloppy plot holes or lack of clarity come the end. Multiple moments that felt like they were building towards a great climax also frequently petered out into mediocrity.

Overall the series was done well. A great cast performance mixed with reasonably good writing, storytelling and cinematography produces what we have here in Zero Day.

It's nice, but I wouldn't say it's more than that.

7/10.

Opens well, gets the hook sequence underway quite quickly, but then subsides into the standard formula of who was it and conspiracies that are going to play out til the last episode. It's slick but not intelligent. There's enough to keep you watching to see where its going, De Niro is great, but it just feels too cheesy. I'm impressed by location shots and I get it references current political sentiment in a benign sort of way. It also is an easy one to see telegraphed character moves.

Some scenes are a bit altruistic, which don't seem to gel with the real worlds happening of the story, but overall it's one of they few new stories that you will keep going until you while the mystery of who done it, and the key characters multiple facades come undone.

The series starts well but loses its pace soon after in the name of investigation. The audience keeps wondering when the actual investigation would take place, as it focuses on everything from personal demons to surrounding pressures except the core investigation. It takes until Episode 5 (out of 6 episodes) for the series to truly get going, and the last two episodes are undoubtedly the best of this series.

Robert De Niro excels, and I think there's no doubt about his acting prowess. However, I feel a powerful actor like Angela Bassett was underutilized, and somehow her performance isn't up to the mark, possibly due to a sub-par script and weak dialogues.

Overall, it's a slow, uneventful series that has a very interesting and engaging plot on paper, but the makers fail to capitalize on it. It only truly excels because of the powerful acting and the strength of its final two episodes.

First, there is a lot of angst right off the bat about how much power to hand an investigative commission, when it seems the attack only just occurred. You would think that the FBI would have more time to investigate, and you'd only award extraordinary powers once they hit a wall. Next, presidents are polarizing figures regardless of how supposedly beloved one might be, so why not select a trusted nonpartisan figure (who is not a befuddled septuagenarian) to lead an IT investigation? So you get past that, and the acting is pretty good. Angela Bassett does not compare well in scenes with DeNiro, but who does? Lizzy Caplan is a one-note tune so she doesn't do so well either. It's just not a compelling series although the pacing is ok. It is a decent series although every single actor involved has had much better scripts to work with.

Zero Day is lightly intriguing, fairly tame, and carries a timeless feel that works in its favor. There's an air of mystery that keeps things moving, and while it never reaches edge-of-your-seat levels, I wouldn't label it as "dull" either. The pacing is steady, the writing isn't half-bad, and there's just enough intrigue to keep you guessing.

Robert De Niro delivers a strong performance-no surprise there-but I had a hard time buying him as a former president. He's compelling, but something about his presence doesn't fully sell the idea of him having once led the country. Still, the show doesn't lean too heavily on that angle, so it doesn't derail the experience.

As a conspiracy thriller, Zero Day sets up an intriguing mystery but never fully leans into the paranoia or high stakes that could have made it more gripping. The twists keep things moving, but they feel more procedural than truly surprising. It's an easy watch, but it lacks the gravitas that could have made it feel more substantial.

Overall, Zero Day delivers a polished, well-paced mystery that holds your attention without demanding too much from it. If you're looking for a thriller with a classic feel and a steady sense of intrigue, it's worth checking out-just don't expect it to push the genre in any bold new directions.