Chernobyl

Well we have arrived. This was one of my most ambitious projects, of course, and a work of Chernobyl’s magnitude deserved no less. Furthermore, this gets the honor of being my 100th review!

I mentioned the comparison made of the first episode to a disaster movie. You could honestly say that about the first three episodes, with the first episode setting the stage as far as the disaster, the second showing the characters attempting to navigate a way through it, and the third depicting heroic self-sacrifices. The fourth episode rings of a dark horror movie in its portrayal of the terrifying fallout. The fifth recalls a courtroom drama, as attempts are made to pass the blame.

However, what separates this miniseries from a disaster movie, a horror movie, or a courtroom drama is the utter lack of fun. Chernobyl is an unflinching, difficult look at the worst man-made disaster in all of human history. If this story had been the product of screenwriters’ imagination it would be one of the most exciting miniseries ever; instead I’d liken it to Godzilla (which was also about real-life nuclear radiation, albeit mostly metaphorically) as far as having no sense of adventure or excitement but instead purposefully disturbing and unsettling you.

So much contributes to this effect: the penetrating dialogue, the chilling cinematography, the incredibly taut direction, the intense performances (especially from Jared Harris as tortured Valery Legasov, Emily Watson as aghast Ulana Khomyuk, and Stellan Skarsgard as disgusted Boris Shcherbina), etc. It’s hard to imagine even small details pulled off more perfectly.

Not easy to sit through but a must-watch.*

Bottom Line: I’ll reiterate – not easy to sit through but a must-watch.

*Heck even talking about it is such a downer I’ll insert this clip to cheer you up! Watch the whole thing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O74sT4I0Yk0