The Plot Against America

An alternate American history told through the eyes of a working-class Jewish family in New Jersey, as they watch the political rise of Charles Lindbergh, an aviator-hero and xenophobic populist, who becomes president and turns the nation toward fascism.

The Plot Against America (2020) is an American alternate history miniseries created by Ed Burns and David Simon for HBO. Across six episodes, it follows a working-class Jewish family in New Jersey as they watch aviator-hero Charles Lindbergh rise through populist politics to the presidency. Winona Ryder plays Evelyn Finkel, a mother whose unease sharpens as the country shifts, while John Turturro plays Rabbi Lionel Bengelsdorf, a respected community figure who begins to accommodate the new regime. Zoe Kazan, Morgan Spector and Anthony Boyle round out the household, and Azhy Robertson plays the young Philip Levin, whose view of events gives the story its childlike clarity. The engine of the series is the slow erosion of ordinary life: neighbors turn wary, schoolyards grow hostile, and families weigh whether to speak out or keep quiet. Rather than spectacle, each episode is built from small domestic scenes and public moments that carry mounting threat. The result is a limited series with a measured, dread-filled tone, grounded in period detail and sharp about how prejudice wears a respectable face. Viewers drawn to The Man in the High Castle and Boardwalk Empire will find the same blend of historical texture and political unease.

Critics broadly praise the miniseries for its sober, historically grounded reimagining of rising American fascism seen through one Jewish family's eyes.

• The Man in the High Castlealternate history under a rising authoritarian regime, serialized period drama
• Boardwalk Empireperiod family drama with political dread and a historical setting
• Watchmenquiet dread of fascism encroaching on ordinary American life

Created by

Ed Burns, David Simon

Release Date

2020-03-16

Episode runtime

61 min

Rating

7.3 / 10 (217)

What is The Plot Against America about?

A working-class Jewish family in 1940s New Jersey watches an isolationist aviator-hero rise to the presidency and steer America toward fascism.

What is The Plot Against America like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Plot Against America as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.

Is The Plot Against America violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Plot Against America as mild.

What did critics think of The Plot Against America?

Critics broadly praise the miniseries for its sober, historically grounded reimagining of rising American fascism seen through one Jewish family's eyes.

Which shows are like The Plot Against America?

Shows with a similar feel include The Man in the High Castle, Boardwalk Empire, and Watchmen.

How long is The Plot Against America?

The Plot Against America: 1 season, 6 episodes.

Is The Plot Against America still running?

No, The Plot Against America has ended.

Where can I watch The Plot Against America?

In United States, The Plot Against America streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.