Death by Lightning movie review (2025) | Roger Ebert

Death by Lightning Movie Review (2025) | Roger Ebert

Death by Lightning follows a straightforward timeline, enhanced by a few insightful flashbacks that enrich the narrative.

“Assassination can be no more guarded against than death by lightning, and it’s best not to worry about either.” — President-elect James A. Garfield in a letter to Secretary of the Treasury John Sherman, responding to concerns about threats to his life.

The Netflix historical drama mini-series opens intriguingly with a brain in a jar lying on the floor, accompanied by Sly and the Family Stone’s “Everyday People” playing on the radio. Set in 1969 at the former Army Medical Museum, a crew is packing artifacts in a warehouse. A dust-covered jar containing a human brain rolls onto the floor, prompting a worker to ask, “Who the f*** is Charles Guiteau?”

This question highlights how lesser-known presidential assassins rarely come to mind. While names like John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald are familiar, figures such as Charles Guiteau, who fatally shot President James A. Garfield at a Washington train station on July 2, 1881, often remain obscure. Garfield died from his wounds 79 days later. Similarly, McKinley’s assassin Leon Czolgosz is another largely forgotten name in history.

Context on Charles Guiteau

Guiteau was a delusional individual whose act of violence is overshadowed by more widely known assassins. Even unsuccessful attempts, like those by Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme and John Hinckley Jr., are better remembered in cultural memory.

This review reflects on the compelling approach of the mini-series to highlight such a neglected part of American history through a fresh lens.

Author's summary: The series uniquely illuminates the overlooked story of Charles Guiteau and President Garfield’s assassination, challenging common knowledge about historical presidential attacks.

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Roger Ebert Roger Ebert — 2025-11-05

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