'Excellent' period drama with 'unrecognisable' Hollywood star is a 'must-see'

Viewers can't get enough of the "exceptional" performances from Julia Roberts and Sean Penn in this drama, retelling the 1970s Watergate scandal.

Gaslit is a political short series which follows the lives of several famous individuals involved in the Watergate scandal. It was a major moment in U.S. politics in 1972 and saw burglars break into the Democratic National Committee headquarters and install listening devices linked to President Nixon's re-election campaign.

At the heart of the story is Martha Mitchell, wife of John Mitchell, who acts as Nixon's Attorney General and the whistleblower who helped to bring the scandal to light. None other than Julia Roberts plays the rowdy "mouth from the south", who was notorious for making comments to the press about Nixon's presidency and was often underestimated, even by her husband.

A Rotten Tomatoes review claims: "Excellent must see. Acting, script and period wardrobe/sets. And prosthetic make-up! In addition to the Watergate break-ins and the accompanying criminal machinations, it tells a part of the story that's too often ignored-how they tried to silence Martha Mitchell. I remember when the story broke but was quickly buried."

A standout for many viewers was not only the excellent performance of Sean Penn, playing John Mitchell alongside Roberts, but also the costume that completely transformed him. One viewer wrote: "Great show, amazing performance by the whole cast and most notably by the amazing Julia Roberts and the unrecognisable Sean Penn."

With just one season, spanning across eight episodes, Gaslit manages to captivate audiences and make a real impact, so much so that it was nominated for numerous Emmy Awards the year of its release. Not only this, but Roberts also earneda Golden Globe nomination that same year.

Many viewers are impressed to see the Hollywood star playing a less glamorous role, and one with more grit, in comparison to her early rom-com work. A review states: "Julia Roberts is really terrific in this, losing all pretence of superstar ego to play a woman whose ego was well-known; I just loved her performance... Each story is, by turns, exhilarating, horrifying, and heartbreaking."

The premise of the show, it seems, is to bring forward the stories of those at the centre of this huge scandal, whose work or involvement may have been overshadowed at the time of its reveal.

With this in mind, it gives the perspectives of the robbers coordinator as well as the attorney general, while Nixon himself is rarely seen as a character.

Another rave review claims: "I think that Gaslit might be my favourite dramatisation of the Watergate scandal. The miniseries comes at the burglary and cover-up from unfamiliar but revealing angles that resonate deeply with subsequent history."

Whether you're a fan of the actors that star in the show, intrigued to learn more about the much-talked-about scandal, or simply love a good drama, Gaslit is rated highly at 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. For those wanting to give it a watch, all episodes are streaming now on Amazon Prime.