Zero Day

What’s it about?

A former U.S. President is tasked with leading an investigation into a large-scale cyberattack that triggers widespread disasters across the country.

The facts

• Directed by Lesli Linka Glatter (Homeland, Mad Men)
• Stars Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon), Jesse Plemmons (Power of the Dog), Connie Britton (American Horror Story), Lizzie Caplan (Mean Girls)
• English language
• Runtime: 6 episodes, between 40 – 60 minutes long
• Netflix original series

Why did it get this rating?

This series was self-rated by Netflix. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.

Violence

Zero Day is a fictional story about a deadly cyber-attack. It shows violence on screen, and includes depictions of overdose:

• A character is accosted and drugged in his own apartment, then drowned in his bathtub while unable to resist.
• A group of people are shot at close range and killed. This is somewhat clear and detailed.
• A car with two passengers is struck by a train and explodes.
• A subway crash is briefly shown.
• A  cyber-attack is described as causing thousands of deaths, but this is primarily conveyed through news reports rather than graphic on-screen depictions.
• Several men are shown dead, executed by a hitman. The bodies are clearly shown.
• A character is struck and killed by a garbage truck, and a close up of their dead body is shown.

Drug overdose/suicide themes

A body is staged to look like a drug overdose, with drug paraphernalia around him.

A separate scene depicts a character discovering a body, also surrounded by drug paraphernalia. While another character later refers to this as suicide, it’s not explicitly confirmed. Both scenes focus on the emotional impact of these deaths on loved ones and may be upsetting for viewers who have been affected by overdose.

In episode 5, there is a close up shot of a character who has hanged themselves in a prison cell. It is implied they committed suicide and is unclear whether it has been staged.

Offensive language

There is occasional use of the word “f**k.”

Helplines:

Drug overdose and suicide themes could be upsetting for some viewers, especially for those who have gone through similar experiences. If you are struggling with what you have seen on-screen or real-world harm please reach out for help. If you or someone you know needs to talk:

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?