Chernobyl: Historical Horror

Recently, I decided to binge HBO's critically-acclaimed mini series, Chernobyl. Chernobyl is a chilling and haunting retelling of the infamous nuclear disaster that took place on April 26th, 1986. Told as a drama series that follows what happened when the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded, and the events that followed that centered around the brave women and men who risked their lives in order to prevent millions of deaths worldwide.

The pilot episode is what will hook you, as it is essentially a horror film that is all too true to life. It begins with the explosion of the nuclear reactor and we witness the workers at the reactor plant struggling to figure out what happened and what to do next. We also see the firefighters who rush to the scene to contain the fire.

What is heartbreaking is that these firefighters and nuclear plant workers are being exposed to so much radiation that their very insides are slowly being roasted, giving most of them weeks to live. They, of course, have no idea what is happening to them. The citizens of the surrounding area crowd together in the distance and watch the reactor burn, all of them completely unaware that they are inhaling radiation that will surely kill them in a matter of years.

This show then follows the efforts of the Soviet Union as they attempt to cover up the severity of the situation, coming chillingly close to allowing the radiation to become so severe that whole countries would have become uninhabitable for centuries. The show brilliantly portrays the sheer incompetence of the Soviet government as they put their own reputation before the lives of millions.

Luckily, were it not for the brave men and women whom this show is centered around that lead the charge in containing the damage, the world would be very different today. Jared Harris shines in his best role yet as the brilliant Valery Legasov, a real nuclear physicist whose efforts helped prevent and shape the world of nuclear power.

This show is masterfully told and has won the golden globe for best limited series, along with several Emmy wins. I think it is one of the most important historical period pieces ever created, as it a prime example of learning from history so that it does not repeat itself. It has been praised for its accuracy and attention to detail on the actual events that followed the worst man-made disaster in human history, and how it was contained at the expense of so many brave men and women whose names would have been lost in time were it not for this film.

Russia claims that only 42 people died directly from the explosion and in the following months, but we now know that the death toll could be in the thousands due to the nuclear fallout that spread throughout eastern Europe that caused cancer to become inevitable.

The cinematography and set design helped throw you into 1980's Russia at the height of the Cold War. The paranoia and threat of Soviet-era communism lurking in the background as we see what happens when the government does not inform its people. The soundtrack is chilling (composed by the recent Oscar-winner, Hildur Guonadottir), and the dialogue keeps you hooked and anxious. Combine that with amazing performances and an important history lesson, and you have one of the best mini-series ever released.