Chernobyl

(series)
Trailer 1
USA / UK, 2019, 5 h 11 min (Length: 59–65 min)

Creators:

Craig Mazin

Directed by:

Johan Renck

Screenplay:

Craig Mazin

Cinematography:

Jakob Ihre

Cast:

Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson, Jessie Buckley, Paul Ritter, Adam Nagaitis, Robert Emms, Sam Troughton, Con O'Neill, Adrian Rawlins (more)
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Episodes(5)

Plots(1)

Based on powerful real-life events, Chernobyl dramatizes the story of one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history, the Ukraine nuclear plant disaster of April 1986. This five-part miniseries recounts the remarkable stories of the heroes who fought and fell to save Europe from an unimaginable disaster. Jared Harris portrays Valery Legasov, the Soviet scientist chosen by the Kremlin to investigate the accident to reveal how and why it happened. Chernobyl tells a tale of lies and cowardice, of courage and conviction, and of human failure and human nobility. (Roadshow Entertainment)

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Reviews of this series by the user Necrotongue (6)

Chernobyl (2019) 

English I often approach highly-rated films and series with caution because it’s happened to me more than once that my opinion completely differed from the majority. With Chernobyl, all my concerns quickly went away. Craig Mazin did an excellent job with the screenplay, the series was imbued with a fantastic atmosphere from start to finish, there was surprisingly little melodrama and an excellent cast as a bonus. Plus, the authors managed to make me remember the total brainwash by the media and school. The propaganda at the time must have broken all records for downplaying the actual events. ()

1:23:45 (2019) (E01) 

English I'm not sure if I've ever encountered such a gripping opening episode in a series before. Seriously, I'm racking my brain, but nothing comes close. Regardless of how much artistic license the filmmakers took, the atmosphere they created in the first episode was absolutely mesmerizing. The sense of fear, hopelessness, and despair was almost palpable — it was a truly intense experience. ()

Please Remain Calm (2019) (E02) 

English Apart from the slightly weird Gorbachev, I don't have any complaints about this episode. This series had me hooked right from the start, and I can't fathom what the creators would have to do to make me stop enjoying it. So far, I'm thoroughly satisfied. ()

Open Wide, O Earth (2019) (E03) 

English I've been singing praises for the past two episodes, but the third one was even better. Once again, hats off to the creators for crafting an atmosphere that's downright chilling. While today's horror movies often leave me chuckling, Chernobyl sends shivers down my spine. And that funeral scene with the concrete mixer? That's the stuff nightmares are made of. ()

The Happiness of All Mankind (2019) (E04) 

English The fourth episode struck me as the weakest (up until now). Sure, showcasing the extensive efforts and scale of the task at hand makes sense. But delving too much into the political races and the final truth debate grated on me. It somehow broke the illusion of witnessing real events that the series had so skillfully built up. Instead, I found myself irritated by the all-too-familiar rhetoric that seems to saturate our present-day discourse. ()

Vichnaya Pamyat (2019) (E05) 

English In the last episode, two things stood out for me. Firstly, the way they reconstructed the events leading up to the explosion was top-notch and thoroughly enjoyable. Secondly, Comrade Legasov's detailed explanation of how the nuclear reactor functions and the reasons behind the RBMK reactor explosion made me understand it better. ()