James Garfield is a name you’d expect to find as the answer to lightning trivia, and as a decidedly non-history buff, I could have told you he was president—but not when or for how long. Also, I’d probably have said Andrew Garfield—another person altogether. Point being, this four-part series was an amazing way to cram some history into my knowledge bank complete with winning performances all around.
DEATH BY LIGHTNING
What’s it rated? Unrated
When? 2025
Where’s it showing? Netflix
Garfield is played by the incomparable Michael Shannon, and we follow his character’s story just as much as we do the man who shot him—Charles Guiteau, played equally as well by Matthew Macfadyen. The series follows Garfield’s unplanned and unlikely path to the presidency, the ever-circling political sharks, and Guiteau, a crook by all accounts but a dreamer nonetheless.
Superbly measured and earnest, Garfield focuses on his wife and children, as well as on the voice of the everyman. He refused to be bought, to be anything less than authentic. History buff or not, be sure to see this. Shannon on his own is well worth the watch, and when you add in the rest of this amazing cast, it’s a must-see. (four 47- to 66-min. episodes) ∆
This article appears in Holiday Guide 2025.