Death by Lightning has become a global hit on Netflix. Released on November 6, the new limited series follows the story of President James Garfield and is executive-produced by Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, marking their second Netflix series after 3 Body Problem premiered in March 2024.
For the week of November 3–9, Death by Lightning ranks fifth on Netflix’s Global Top 10 shows with 3.2 million views and 11.6 million hours viewed. It ranks below The Witcher season 4, Nobody Wants This season 2, Bad Influencer season 1, Selling Sunset season 9, and above Squid Game: The Challenge season 2, Leanne Morgan: Unspeakable Things, Stranger Things season 1, Raw: 2025 (November 3), and The Bad Guys: Breaking In season 1.
Created by Mike Makowsky, based on the 2011 book Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard, Death by Lightning follows the election and presidency of James Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, highlighting his efforts against corruption and support for civil rights, as well as his encounter with Charles J. Guiteau, a misguided admirer who ultimately assassinated him.
Death by Lightning‘s cast includes two-time Oscar nominee Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road, Nocturnal Animals) as James Garfield, two-time Emmy winner Matthew Macfadyen (Succession) as Charles J. Guiteau, three-time Emmy nominee Betty Gilpin (GLOW) as Lucretia Garfield, Shea Whigham (Boardwalk Empire), three-time Emmy winner Bradley Whitford (The West Wing, Transparent, The Handmaid’s Tale), and Emmy winner Nick Offerman (The Last of Us).
Death by Lightning has received rave reviews, resulting in a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score, with critics praising it for being elegantly staged and brought to life by Matthew Macfadyen’s brilliant portrayal of conniving desperation, sharply dramatizing a pivotal moment in history while subtly evoking the possibilities of what might have been.
Death by Lightning continues David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’ redemption after Game of Thrones season 8, which many fans found to be a disappointing conclusion to the series. However, their Netflix follow-ups, 3 Body Problem and now Death by Lightning, have both seen critical and commercial success. The sci-fi series, for instance, received six Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series.
- Release Date
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2025 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
- Directors
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Matt Ross
