Death by Lightning
| Death by Lightning | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster | |
| Created by | Mike Makowsky |
| Based on | Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard |
| Directed by | Matt Ross |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Ramin Djawadi |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Running time | 47–66 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | November 6, 2025 |
Death By Lightning is an American historical drama miniseries created by Mike Makowsky and based on the 2011 book Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard. It stars Michael Shannon as United States President James A. Garfield and Matthew Macfadyen as his assassin Charles J. Guiteau. The four-episode series premiered on November 6, 2025, on Netflix. It received widespread acclaim from critics, with particular praise for the performances, and was named one of the best television programs of the year by the American Film Institute.
Premise
The series depicts the election and presidency of James A. Garfield, the 20th United States President, including his anti-corruption and pro-civil rights stances, as well as how his path crossed with Charles J. Guiteau, a deluded admirer, who ended up shooting him, leading to Garfield's death.
Cast and characters
Main
Supporting
- Paula Malcomson as Franny Scoville
- Alistair Petrie as John Sherman
- Ben Miles as George Scoville
- Laura Marcus as Mollie Garfield
- Archie Fisher as Joe Brown
- Stuart Milligan as George F. Hoar
- David Nykl as Levi Morton
- Richard Rycroft as Spurlock
- Michael Carter as James Joy
- Dominic Applewhite as W.A.M. Grier
- Andrew Hefler as Tom Platt
- Daniel Gosling as John Foster
- Vondie Curtis-Hall as Frederick Douglass
- Tuppence Middleton as Kate Chase Sprague
- Bronagh Waugh as Myrna
- Barry Shabaka Henley as Blanche Bruce
- Nicholas Woodeson as Charles D.A. Loeffler
- Christine Grace Szarko as Susan Ann Edson
- Daniel Betts as John Humphrey Noyes
- Željko Ivanek as Doctor Willard Bliss
- Shaun Parkes as Dr. Charles Purvis
- Kyle Soller as Robert Todd Lincoln
- Richard Rankin as Alexander Graham Bell
- Alfie Tempest as Irvin Garfield
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Man from Ohio" | Matt Ross | Mike Makowsky | November 6, 2025 |
| 2 | "Party Faithful" | Matt Ross | Mike Makowsky | November 6, 2025 |
| 3 | "Casus Belli" | Matt Ross | Mike Makowsky | November 6, 2025 |
| 4 | "Destiny of the Republic" | Matt Ross | Mike Makowsky | November 6, 2025 |
Production
Development
The series was announced in February 2024, with Michael Shannon cast to play Garfield, and Matthew Macfadyen to play Guiteau.[1][2] Shannon was keen to play Garfield as he himself did not know anything about the man.[3] Macfadyen compared his interpretation of Guiteau to the Pixar villain Syndrome.[4] Matt Ross was set to direct all episodes of the series.[1] Later that month, Nick Offerman and Betty Gilpin joined the cast, as Chester A. Arthur and Lucretia Garfield, respectively.[5][6] In May, Bradley Whitford and Shea Whigham were added, with Stephen McKinley Henderson, Paula Malcolmson and Tuppence Middleton joining in recurring roles.[7] Laura Marcus was added in July.[8] In October, additional castings were announced, including Barry Shabaka Henley (replacing McKinley Henderson in his role), Vondie Curtis-Hall and Željko Ivanek.[9]
Filming began in Budapest on July 1, 2024,[10][11] and wrapped in October of the same year.[9]
Music
It was announced in October 2025 that composer Ramin Djawadi would be scoring the series.[12][13]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Prove My Worth" | 1:05 |
| 2. | "The Man from Ohio" | 2:35 |
| 3. | "Daily Theocrat" | 1:05 |
| 4. | "Meeting the President" | 0:52 |
| 5. | "The Story of a Hero" | 2:40 |
| 6. | "It’s a Deadlock" | 1:26 |
| 7. | "A Big Game" | 1:50 |
| 8. | "The Nominee" | 3:48 |
| 9. | "Show Me a Better Man" | 1:17 |
| 10. | "A Sound Investment" | 0:58 |
| 11. | "You Will Have No Voice" | 1:35 |
| 12. | "A Flair of Hope" | 2:00 |
| 13. | "Broken Promises" | 0:49 |
| 14. | "Torpedo and the Whale" | 1:32 |
| 15. | "History Will Remember Us" | 2:25 |
| 16. | "A Question of Order" | 0:35 |
| 17. | "Friends in Politics" | 1:08 |
| 18. | "A President for the People" | 3:13 |
| 19. | "The Letter" | 1:35 |
| 20. | "Give Voice to the Common Man" | 1:10 |
| 21. | "A Special Purpose" | 3:50 |
| 22. | "Democracy Calls" | 1:41 |
| 23. | "Stop the Vote" | 1:40 |
| 24. | "I Believe in Change" | 1:13 |
| 25. | "A Place in History" | 2:26 |
| 26. | "A True American Hero" | 1:26 |
| 27. | "Death by Lightning" | 2:55 |
| Total length: | 48:44 | |
Release
Death by Lightning premiered on November 6, 2025, on Netflix.[14]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 67 critics' reviews are positive. The website's critics consensus reads, "Handsomely mounted and electrified by Matthew Macfadyen's masterclass in slimy desperation, Death by Lightning concisely dramatizes a fork in history while wistfully hinting at what could've been."[15] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[16]
Shannon and Macfadyen's portrayals of Garfield and Guiteau were singled out for praise.[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Richard Roeper's review at RogerEbert.com gave the series 3.5 stars out of 4, praising its boldness: "remembers Garfield as a decent man...Guiteau as one in a long line of broken and twisted souls."[25]
The American Film Institute named it one of the ten best television programs of the year.[26]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Limited Series | Joseph Krings, Anna Hauger, Michael Ruscio & Joe Leonard (for "The Man from Ohio") | Nominated | [27] |
| Critics' Choice Awards | Best Limited Series | Death by Lightning | Nominated | [28] | |
| Best Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie Made for Television | Michael Shannon | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie Made for Television | Nick Offerman | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie Made for Television | Betty Gilpin | Nominated | |||
| USC Scripter Awards | Best Adapted Screenplay – Television | Mike Makowsky (for "Destiny of the Republic") | Won | [29] | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode | Rainer Gombos, Steve Kullback, Marko Ljubez, David Ramos (for "The Man from Ohio") |
Nominated | [30] | |
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Limited Series | Mike Makowsky | Pending | [31] |
See also
- Murder of a President, 2016 episode of season 28 of the PBS documentary series American Experience, centered on Garfield and his assassination.
References
- ^ a b White, Peter (February 1, 2024). "Michael Shannon & Matthew Macfadyen To Star In President Garfield Assassination Series Death By Lightning For Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Soloski, Alexis (November 6, 2025). "In Death by Lightning Matthew Macfadyen and Michael Shannon Make Sparks Fly". New York Times. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Brunner, Raven (November 5, 2025). "Michael Shannon Admits He 'Didn't Know Much' Before Playing President James Garfield in Death by Lightning". Yahoo! News. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Dodge, Jeff; Crowley, Liam (November 4, 2025). "Netflix's New Political Assassination Thriller Has An Unexpected Pixar Connection". ScreenRant. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (February 28, 2024). "Nick Offerman, Betty Gilpin Join Netflix's President Garfield Assassination Series Death by Lightning". Variety. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ O'Keefe, Meghan (November 7, 2025). "Death By Lightning Gives Nick Offerman the Role of a Lifetime in Chester A. Arthur: "Those Were His Actual Muttonchops"". Decider. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 24, 2024). "Bradley Whitford & Shea Whigham Join Netflix's Death By Lightning, 3 Others Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ Goldbart, Max (July 19, 2024). "Netflix Finds Its President Garfield's Daughter For Death By Lightning Series Starring Michael Shannon As 20th POTUS". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
- ^ a b Campione, Katie (October 11, 2024). "Death By Lightning: Vondie Curtis Hall, Željko Ivanek & Barry Shabaka Henley Among 8 To Join Netflix Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ "Death by Lightning – Budapest Sets Stage for Netflix's Presidential Drama". Budapest Reporter. April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ "Death by Lightning". Film & Television Industry Alliance. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ^ "Ramin Djawadi Scoring Netflix's Death by Lightning". Film Music Reporter. October 13, 2025. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
- ^ "Death by Lightning Soundtrack Album Details". Film Music Reporter. October 30, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ Petski, Denise (August 21, 2025). "Death By Lightning Starring Michael Shannon & Matthew Macfadyen Gets Netflix Premiere Date". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
- ^ "Death by Lightning: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ^ "Death by Lightning: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ^ Singh, Anita (November 6, 2025). "Matthew Macfadyen is simply electric in Netflix's Death by Lightning". The Telegraph. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Fienberg, Daniel (November 6, 2025). "Death by Lightning Review: Michael Shannon and Matthew Macfadyen Headline Netflix's Mostly Gripping, Slightly Rushed Presidential Assassination Thriller". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Smith, Patrick (November 6, 2025). "Death by Lightning review – A presidential assassination drama that probably won't make history". independent.co.uk. Independent. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
- ^ Seale, Jack (November 6, 2025). "Death by Lightning review – absolutely nobody plays losers like Matthew Macfadyen". The Guardian. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Lili, Loofbourow (November 6, 2025). "In Death by Lightning, Matthew Macfadyen plays a Tom with no Shiv". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Kate, Phipps (November 6, 2025). "Death by Lightning Review: Netflix's Brisk, Relevant Historical Drama Illuminates a Brief Presidency". TV Guide. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Tinubu, Aramide (November 6, 2025). "Netflix's Assassination Drama Death by Lightning Is a Sobering Historical Account: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Travers, Ben (November 5, 2025). "Death by Lightning Review: Michael Shannon Leads a Rollicking Elegy for the American Experiment". Indie Wire. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Roeper, Richard (November 6, 2025). "Death by Lighting review & summary (2025)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary (December 4, 2025). "AFI Names Top Films of 2025: Avatar: Fire and Ash, Frankenstein, Wicked: For Good and More". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 27, 2026). "ACE Eddie Awards Nominations: Sinners, One Battle, F1, Weapons, Wicked: For Good & More". Deadline. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ^ Frank, Jason P. (December 5, 2025). "The 2026 Critics Choice Award Nominations". Vulture. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (January 25, 2026). "One Battle After Another, Death By Lightning Win USC Scripter Awards". Deadline. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ^ Victorian, Brande (January 13, 2026). "Avatar: Fire and Ash Leads 2026 Visual Effects Society Nominations With 10 Nods". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary (January 27, 2026). "Writers Guild Awards Nominations: If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, Weapons, Bugonia, Frankenstein Among Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 28, 2026.