Creators:
Craig MazinDirected by:
Johan RenckScreenplay:
Craig MazinCinematography:
Jakob IhreComposer:
Hildur GuðnadóttirCast:
Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson, Jessie Buckley, Paul Ritter, Adam Nagaitis, Robert Emms, Sam Troughton, Con O'Neill, Adrian Rawlins (more)VOD (4)
Episodes(5)
-
1:23:45 (E01)
-
Please Remain Calm (E02)
-
Open Wide, O Earth (E03)
-
The Happiness of All Mankind (E04)
-
Vichnaya Pamyat (E05)
Plots(1)
Chernobyl, a five-part miniseries co-production from HBO and Sky, dramatizes the story of the 1986 nuclear accident, one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history – and of the sacrifices made to save Europe from unimaginable disaster. On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, Soviet Union suffered a massive explosion that released radioactive material across Belarus, Russia and Ukraine and as far as Scandinavia and western Europe. Jared Harris portrays Valery Legasov, a leading Soviet nuclear physicist. As part of the response team, he was one of the first to grasp the scope of the unparalleled disaster that occurred. Stellan Skarsgård plays Soviet Deputy Prime Minister Boris Shcherbina, who is assigned by the Kremlin to lead the government commission on Chernobyl in the hours immediately following the accident. Emily Watson portrays Ulana Khomyuk, a Soviet nuclear physicist committed to solving the mystery of what led to the Chernobyl disaster. (HBO Europe)
(more)Videos (9)
Reviews (17)
Chernobyl is not a series, but rather a gripping five-hour film that pays tribute to everyone involved in preventing a potentially even bigger environmental disaster than the one that actually occurred. It fantastically examines the various stages after the explosion, enabling us to experience the human tragedy and the national disaster from multiple perspectives (from firefighters to President Gorbachev). The shooting of contaminated dogs. Miners and their leaders helping out. The gradually emerging understanding and respect between the main male characters (the scientist played by Harris and Skarsgård’s politician). Decomposing bodies of irradiated people in hospitals. The casting and acting of the KGB chief and his appalling attitude… This film contains so many strong story elements that it is practically unbelievable. It is also a chillingly accurate reflection of the shoddy, dishonest and unscrupulous political system on which the Soviet Union built its “glory”, only to later rot away from the inside.
()
Human memory is set up in such a way that the major events around us are similar for most people; we remember exactly what we were doing that day. I have that with 11 September, 2001, and with Chernobyl. The day it went up, we had beautiful, cloudless, sunny weather and half the town was catching rays by the dam, myself included. A light rain fell in the evening, although according to the forecast it was not supposed to rain. And I believe that it’s not just my imagination, because it’s said by more witnesses, but the next weeks the milk tasted differently, probably the comrades put iodine in it or something. The comrades covered up and covered up, and then when it blew up, what I found terribly funny was that the first mention of the catastrophe was only on the third or fourth page of the newspaper, a little footnote. And about the series: excellent stuff, no-nonsense, heading straight for the chamber, without carrying any unnecessary plot ballast. That’s how it should be.
()
I'd be even happier if the series would be cast with less prominent stars. After all, Stellan Skarsgård is already unmistakable, Emily Watson's face also gives a hint in advance what kind of heroine her nuclear physicist will be (whether positive or negative), and Barry Keoghan, for example, has never made anything normal, so his presence alone implies certain associations. I would add to this criticism with a few obvious screenwriting crutches: It was as if the recruitment of the miners was taken from a classic western and a few other scenes were very much in the style of the American way of life and their understanding of law and morality. But these are all small things that have no chance to jeopardize an otherwise excellent whole. I myself belong to the Chernobyl generation and the vague news of what happened accompanied my entire childhood. I thus very much welcome the opportunity to experience five HBO-produced episodes on the theme of reconstructing the events and stories of the people immediately surrounding the disaster. I like the idea of just hinting at some key events in the first episode and only explaining them in the lavish conclusion. I also appreciate the individual story of the woman firefighter who lived through the whole tragedy, but above all also survived. And while I had hoped that the intrepid nuclear physicist might not be a piece of fiction, on the other hand, I understand that such knowledge and courage in real life does not belong to a single person. Chernobyl is an important event and if the Russians come up with their own version, I will be there to see it.
()
I was going to write the event of the year, but this is the event of the century, because no series or movie has ever gotten more than 97% on FilmBooster, IMDB and similar ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, and the hype is well deserved. In five episodes, HBO serves us in detail the worst man-made disaster of 1986, and the series is a clear proof that the best screenplay is reality itself. The series features plenty of chilling, atmospheric and dense scenes (divers, disposal of infected animals, decomposing bodies in a hospital and self-sacrifice for humanity). Each episode is 100% and in each episode the series focuses on something different, all culminating in a tense trial where I forgot to breathe. The duo of Jared Harris and Stellan Skarsgård steal the show for themselves with their performances, and I really enjoyed the political meetings where the Soviet Union is shown in its true light. A proper piece of filmmaking and probably the most chilling, depressing and uncomfortable spectacle ever. A must see for all and I would make it mandatory at schools. 100%
()
This captivating dramatization of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the de facto fall of the USSR is built primarily on precise acting performances, stark realism and on the logic of its appealing delivery. With any luck, the infallible Jared Harris is on his way to winning an award. The final summary of the events leading up to the explosion is flawless in its delivery. Excellent editing, a compelling visual style and superb work with the sound of dosimeters in important scenes build up maximum suspense. Even though Putin has his complaints, the series Chernobyl tries not to cut too deep into the Soviets and, on a political level, the focus is rather on deflection and half-truths in general. The creators were fair in this respect. The KGB easily could have been the CIA if of the meltdown had been in the US; it's highly probable that everyone would have acted the same way. People are people regardless of any affiliation with a political party and almost everyone wants a promotion. In both the state and corporate machinery, the results are the most important thing and security is just a word to people who are unable to comprehend it, and yet they try to climb to the top of the food chain. So the exceptional heroism doesn’t represent a fight against ideology, but against incompetent people with dangerous powers. Of course, it also answers the question of why it all happened, and the answer isn’t surprising at all. They cost less.
()
Ads