Cillian Murphy holding a pipe as Oppenheimer in OppenheimerImage via Universal Pictures
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Jen Vestuto
Published 47 minutes ago
Jen Vestuto is a TV Features Writer for Collider. A born and raised New Yorker, she started her career on set as a production assistant for shows like Law & Order: SVU and Person of Interest. In LA, she worked in the writers' rooms for The Vampire Diaries and Nancy Drew. Along with her writing partner, she joined the writing staff of Nancy Drew in Season 2 and stayed on the run of the show, which ended in 2022 with Season 4.
Jen grew up on Long Island in a loud Italian family. She's been writing creatively since she was in elementary school and would often make her younger sister act out scenes from her favorite movies with her. Jen is also a massive sports fan and was an athlete herself growing up.
Writing features for Collider gives her the opportunity to share her passion for great storytelling and compelling characters.
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Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer became a cultural phenomenon in 2023, earning massive box office success and near-universal acclaim. Cillian Murphy’s Oscar-winning performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer helped cement the film as the definitive modern retelling of the creation of the atomic bomb. Nolan’s three-hour epic not only won Best Picture, but it also reignited public fascination with one of history’s most consequential scientific breakthroughs and reshaped how audiences understand a pivotal moment in American history.
But long before Oppenheimer captivated moviegoers, another prestige drama was exploring the same events from a very different angle. Nearly a decade earlier, WGN America’s Manhattan offered a fictionalized but emotionally grounded portrait of the scientists, soldiers, and civilians who built the bomb. Instead of centering on the project’s most famous figure, the series focused on the overlooked people whose lives were upended by the inner workings of the Manhattan Project. And now, with the entire series streaming for free on Tubi, audiences have a chance to rediscover one of the most compelling and criminally underrated period dramas many never had the chance to see when it first aired.
What Is 'Manhattan' About?
John Benjamin Hickey as Frank and Daniel London as Oppenheimer in ManhattanImage via WGN
Manhattan premiered in 2014 and ran for two critically acclaimed seasons, created by Sam Shaw (Castle Rock). Set in 1943 at the real-life Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico, the series blends historical fact with fictional characters to dramatize the intense pressures behind the Manhattan Project. While figures like Oppenheimer appear in the story, Manhattan is primarily about the people whose names never made it into the history books — the brilliant minds and everyday families drawn into a world defined by secrecy.
At the center of the ensemble is Dr. Frank Winter (John Benjamin Hickey), a gifted but volatile physicist whose unorthodox thinking puts him at odds with military leadership and rival scientists. His team is racing to develop a classified design that challenges the lab’s more traditional approach, fueling political infighting within an already tense and secretive environment. The arrival of fresh recruits, including the idealistic young physicist Charlie Isaacs (Ashley Zukerman), only heightens the pressure and paranoia as loyalties shift and ambitions collide. And much like Oppenheimer, Manhattan highlights how the human stories behind such a world-altering project add a layer of emotional complexity far beyond a simple history lesson.
The series also pays meaningful attention to the families who relocated to the desert without knowing the true nature of their spouses’ work. Olivia Williams stars as Liza Winter, Frank’s wife, whose scientific expertise and increasing isolation give her one of the show’s most compelling arcs. Meanwhile, Rachel Brosnahan (years before her breakout in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) delivers a standout performance as Abby Isaacs, a woman juggling secrets of her own while trying to build a life in a community that thrives on secrecy. And while the plot is gripping on its own, especially with the weight of its historical backdrop, it’s the characters that make Manhattan truly worth watching. The ensemble cast is an embarrassment of riches, each performance adding emotional texture to a story that could easily have felt purely procedural.
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Posts By Lauren Krystaf Mar 10, 2024'Manhattan' is Elevated by a Stellar Ensemble Cast
One of the biggest reasons Manhattan stands out is its exceptional ensemble. John Benjamin Hickey brings a raw, volatile intensity to Frank Winter, portraying a man whose brilliance is constantly at odds with his own internal struggles. Ashley Zukerman makes Charlie Isaacs both sympathetic and infuriating, capturing the eagerness of a young physicist desperate to prove himself in a world where every decision carries enormous moral weight.
The supporting cast is equally impressive. Olivia Williams is brilliant as always, and she delivers a layered, heartbreaking performance as Liza Winter, exploring the emotional toll of being married to a genius while living inside a community defined by secrets. Rachel Brosnahan shines as Abby Isaacs, offering an early glimpse of the magnetic presence that would later make her a breakout star. And the extended cast, including Daniel Stern, Katja Herbers, Harry Lloyd, and Michael Chernus, each adds dimension to the high-pressure world of Los Alamos.
The series also introduces two familiar historical figures in more quiet, nuanced ways. Daniel London portrays J. Robert Oppenheimer, not as the central figure he is in Nolan’s film, but as a looming authority whose influence is felt in every decision made at the lab. Meanwhile, Neve Campbell plays Kitty Oppenheimer, the role later brought to life by Emily Blunt in the 2023 film. Campbell’s performance echoes the same emotional complexity of a woman navigating isolation and the strain of being married to a man consumed by his work. Neither character dominates the narrative, but their presence lends Manhattan an added layer of historical weight.
With its strong writing and intimate focus on the human cost of one of the most consequential moments in history, Manhattan distinguishes itself as far more than a historical reenactment. For viewers drawn back into this era by Oppenheimer, Manhattan offers a compelling companion piece as a character-driven drama that makes the stakes feel intensely personal, even in the dire and real-world circumstances. And with both seasons now streaming for free on Tubi, there’s never been a better time to watch one of the decade’s most underrated period dramas.
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