'Death by Lightning' Review: A Forgotten President, a Deranged Assassin, and the Politics of Power (Netflix)
This miniseries revisits the 1881 assassination of James A. Garfield by exploring the intertwined lives of the idealistic president and his disturbed assassin. Starring Michael Shannon as Garfield and Matthew Macfadyen as Charles Guiteau, the show offers a compelling look at this overlooked moment in American history.
Throughout nearly 250 years of American history, there have been four presidential assassinations. Two, Abraham Lincoln's in 1865 and John F. Kennedy's, are widely remembered and depicted in media. The third assassination was of William McKinley in 1901, which had significant political consequences. The fourth, Garfield's, is often reduced to a historical footnote.
The miniseries Death by Lightning brings this forgotten event to life through four engaging episodes. Created by Mike Makowsky (known for Bad Education) and fully directed by Matt Ross (of Captain Fantastic), the series follows two narratives that gradually unite: Garfield's political ascent and Guiteau's erratic path leading to the assassination in the early 1880s.
"There’s a fourth, which, as one character in this story puts it, ended up as a mere footnote in history."
"This riveting new miniseries revisits the 1881 killing of James A. Garfield through the intersecting lives of the idealistic president and his delusional assassin, Charles Guiteau."
The miniseries nearly plays like a long film and successfully makes this lesser-known piece of history vivid and gripping.
Summary: The series skillfully captures the overlooked assassination of President Garfield by blending political drama and psychological portraiture into a gripping four-episode narrative.
Would you like the summary to be more analytical or narrative-driven?