Many know the history class chapter of the infamous Chernobyl incident over 30 years ago, but very few stories have given the tragedy the cinematic treatment that such an event warrants. The story of HBO’s Chernobyl plays out in a 5 episode Miniseries structure from the mind of Craig Mazin, and from it’s opening scene the audience is invited to a world that is grim, worn down, and eerily engaging. One can’t help but wonder what will happen to the crew and surrounding village as they slowly learn and are affected by the fallout of the Chernobyl reactor. As we progress in the story, we’re introduced to scientists, locals, and officials that are immersed in this event from very different perspectives. Once such is scientist Valery Legasov (Jared Harris) who is introduced as our ‘man of reason’ for this series, attempting to convince the officials in the Kremlin that their modest take on the event pales in comparison to what’s really happening outside their walls. The townspeople, 1st responders, and scientists all begin to learn of the events in unsettling and horrific ways as some begin to play in the ash and others come closer to debris, only to have their skin melted away.
This series knows exactly what it is from the get go and director Johan Renck has built a world that is heart-wrenchingly bleak. In that April of 1986 we are treated to unsettling horror movie, one that has a slow build and visual stylings that may remind the viewer of Ridley Scott’s original Alien film, while also providing a period piece that feels every bit 80’s with an accompanying score that makes you feel everything around you, right down to the pitter patter from Legasov’s cat.
There’s human chaos as well, as the story delves beyond the simple narrative of the “We have to get out of here!” tropes that happen to beleaguer many tales of disaster. In this story we find political figures stacking lies upon lies and a cover up of the truth, which only creates more problems and panic despite their intentions. The whole thing plays itself off with near cinematic quality and feels like small films being told in an episodic format, almost like what Netflix has done with Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight”. With only a few episodes in, the viewer is given an experience like no other, and it’s one they will surely not forget when it’s over.
Regarding the series, Mazin further explained to critics in January:
“This is as close to reality as we can get and still be able to tell the story in five episodes. It was our obsession, and certainly our intention all the way, to be as accurate as we could be. The simple rule that we had, if we were going to change something, it had to be only so that we could tell the story fully. We never changed anything to make it more dramatic than it was, to hype anything, to amp it up. For us, this is a story about truth. The last thing we wanted to do was fall into the same trap that liars fall into. This is very much a well researched factual dramatic representation.”
Chernobyl will hook you like no other tale in recent years, and much of that is attributed to how real it all feels. This is a miniseries that will tighten every muscle in your body and yet leave you wanting more of that same intensity from each scene. If you think you’ve seen gripping television from a show like Game Of Thrones, just you wait until you’ve seen what Chernobyl is capable of.
Rating: ★★★★1/2
Chernobyl airs Mondays, on HBO.