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Death by Lightning

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Death by Lightning
Promotional poster
Created byMike Makowsky
Based onDestiny of the Republic
by Candice Millard
Directed byMatt Ross
Starring
ComposerRamin Djawadi
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producers
Running time47–66 minutes
Production companies
  • BLB
  • Slater Hall Pictures
  • Pixie Skye
Original release
NetworkNetflix
ReleaseNovember 6, 2025 (2025-11-06)

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 of Shannon and Macfadyen.

Premise

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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

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Main

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Supporting

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Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"The Man from Ohio"Matt RossMike MakowskyNovember 6, 2025 (2025-11-06)
2"Party Faithful"Matt RossMike MakowskyNovember 6, 2025 (2025-11-06)
3"Casus Belli"Matt RossMike MakowskyNovember 6, 2025 (2025-11-06)
4"Destiny of the Republic"Matt RossMike MakowskyNovember 6, 2025 (2025-11-06)

Production

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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] It was announced in October 2025 that composer Ramin Djawadi would be scoring the series.[12]

Release

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Death by Lightning premiered on November 6, 2025, on Netflix.[13]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 55 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."[14] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "universal acclaim."[15]

Shannon and Macfadyen's portrayals of Garfield and Guiteau were singled out for praise.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] 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."[24]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Soloski, Alexis (November 6, 2025). "In Death by Lightning Matthew Macfadyen and Michael Shannon Make Sparks Fly". New York Times. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Dodge, Jeff; Crowley, Liam (November 4, 2025). "Netflix's New Political Assassination Thriller Has An Unexpected Pixar Connection". Screen Rant. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  5. ^ Otterson, Joe (February 28, 2024). "Nick Offerman, Betty Gilpin Join Netflix's President Garfield Assassination Series Death by Lightning". Variety. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 24, 2024). "Bradley Whitford & Shea Whigham Join Netflix's Death By Lightning, 3 Others Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "Death by Lightning – Budapest Sets Stage for Netflix's Presidential Drama". Budapest Reporter. April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  11. ^ "Death by Lightning". Film & Television Industry Alliance. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  12. ^ "Ramin Djawadi Scoring Netflix's Death by Lightning". Film Music Reporter. October 13, 2025. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  13. ^ Petski, Denise (August 21, 2025). "Death By Lightning Starring Michael Shannon & Matthew Macfadyen Gets Netflix Premiere Date". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  14. ^ "Death by Lightning: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  15. ^ "Death by Lightning: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  16. ^ Singh, Anita (November 6, 2025). "Matthew Macfadyen is simply electric in Netflix's Death by Lightning". The Telegraph. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ Seale, Jack (November 6, 2025). "Death by Lightning review – absolutely nobody plays losers like Matthew Macfadyen". The Guardian. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  20. ^ Lili, Loofbourow (November 6, 2025). "In Death by Lightning, Matthew Macfadyen plays a Tom with no Shiv". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ Tinubu, Aramide (November 6, 2025). "Netflix's Assassination Drama Death by Lightning Is a Sobering Historical Account: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ "Death by Lighting review & summary (2025) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
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