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Chernobyl

Chernobyl

2019
Drama, History
TV Mini-Series
5h 30m
Seasons: 1, Episodes: 5 Episode List
In April 1986 an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the USSR becomes one of the world's worst man-made catastrophes. (imdb)
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Chernobyl

2019
Drama, History
TV Mini-Series
5h 30m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 82.1% from 2178 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(2178)
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Rated 04 Jun 2019
90
88th
It's almost technically perfect. The only complaint is it seems like there could have been more explored outside of the scientific drama specifically; it makes Episode 4 sort of feel out of place. One more episode with people dealing with life after the "clean up" would have provided even better closure than the text-heavy epilogue. However, it's a terrific and often horrifying production that answers lots of questions and makes the viewer want to research more about the event.
Rated 02 Sep 2019
51
40th
This was about Chernobyl disaster or "Communism is bad, so Capitalism is good"? Okay, fun fact: More than 60% of nuclear incidents in history occurred in USA. But do we have any TV series about them?! I think HBO can start with Hiroshima (of course that one wasn't an incident, right?)
Rated 19 Jun 2019
58
48th
Lavishly produced, well intentioned and well researched, Chernobyl makes for intelligent entertainment. In line with most American TV, though, the dramatization favors contrived melodrama over believability, and its heroic characterizations dampen the show's critique of Soviet beaurocracy. Also, I worry that audiences took away an anti-nuclear conclusion from this, when in truth, nuclear energy is indispensable in the fight against global warming.
Rated 26 Aug 2019
80
77th
I learned a lot from this show. Maybe I just went to a crappy school, but I had no idea everyone in Russia was British
Rated 13 Jun 2019
90
88th
This is simply incredible television.Chernobyl is told perfectly in a 5-part miniseries that is riveting,informative and absolutely haunting.From the first couple of frames this incredible atmosphere and tension is built and it doesn't leave until the very end.It is truly fascinating finding out exactly how a series of events lead to this horrible accident.The gravity of this event is really well shown and the impact that it had on all these people's lives was immense.
Rated 22 Jun 2019
85
96th
Not great, not terrible.
Rated 04 Jun 2019
85
93rd
This is a fantastic TV miniseries that studies the Chernobyl disaster in a gritty, realistic approach that elevates the feel and emotion of the people. The atmosphere is superb thanks to awesome cinematography and the haunting musical score that perfectly illustrates what it was like to be there. There's top notch acting from everyone, as well as gripping storylines knowing almost all of it actually happened makes things so poignant. It's definitely a show you won't forget and a must watch!
Rated 04 Jun 2019
95
96th
Even if 'Game of Thrones' had delivered on all its promises, if you're going to watch one series this year, you should still make it 'Chernobyl'.
Rated 05 Jun 2019
99
99th
It's just... So incredible. The third and fourth episodes are particularly hard to watch, but I think it's important to have a sense of the ferocity of nuclear power and the toll it can take. Allow yourself to experience this. It's so carefully, meticulously crafted for the explicit purpose of being true to those that loved through this, and honoring their memory. And it's the most entertaining drama I've seen in years. And, listen to the podcast. You won't regret it.
Rated 20 May 2019
88
87th
A Masterpiece is Born!
Rated 11 May 2019
75
73rd
Who needs zombies when you can watch this and be scared senseless.
Rated 06 Jun 2019
65
55th
Chernobyl is an incredibly well made mini-series based on true events. If it was trying to just be entertaining, I’d have preferred a two hour film instead since it really drags through the first few episodes, but the length does allow it to be informative and also show the results of the disaster realistically. The final episode is by far the best, not having a single dull moment. Overall, it’s absolutely worth seeing if you’re interested, but animal lovers be warned of episode 4.
Rated 16 Jun 2019
79
77th
Well researched dramatisation with high technical & artistic standards throughout. Good structure allows for both tense procedural drama & hauntingly meditative atmospherics that together convey appropriate weight on multiple levels. Its outsider's perspective becomes more evident in the 2nd half when it can't help but slip slightly into contrived polemics & melodrama but overall very true to the horrifying historical tragedy, the issues surrounding it & the spirit of sacrifice permeating it.
Rated 24 Jun 2019
75
86th
very good series
Rated 04 Jun 2019
92
97th
Impressive all around. Minor inaccuracies are a minor flaw in a chilling show.
Rated 04 Jun 2019
90
97th
this is not real socialism lol.
Rated 06 Jun 2019
9
95th
Splendid miniseries. Feels like being there. The characters are well fleshed out and relatable. Rare to see a show set in the USSR that gives a honest representation of that era. I especially loved how they didn't try to do fake russian accents and stuck to speaking normally.
Rated 04 Jun 2019
11
98th
Everything from the camera work to the audio to the acting work together in a fantastic dance to make one of the most tense experiences on the screen you will ever experience.
Rated 01 Jun 2019
95
96th
I have never seen anything with more brilliantly picked actors. Every single one of them is astonishing with perfect accent, hair, make up and wardrobe. This alone creates the perfect ambiance. I really felt the need to praise that specifically - other than that, the qualities of the show are quite obvious. Engaging, visually stunning, chilling... Everything you'd expect from a good drama. But you have to admit, the source material provides all of that on its own.
Rated 15 Nov 2019
95
99th
Outstanding.
Rated 13 Nov 2019
80
94th
Incredibly well-made mini-series. All the leads are great and the bureaucracy is amazingly frustrating.
Rated 07 Jun 2019
97
98th
Masterpiece. In the past, I tried many times to read articles in order to understand how and why the accident happened, without success. My scientific background and the technical readings weren't helpful enough.... and then... this mini-series came and clarifies everything. Great work!
Rated 22 Jun 2019
87
87th
I appreciated the decision to not have any of the British actors attempt a Russian accent, only really when pronouncing character names/towns. This led to us getting to see the Scottish but really Russian mining crew chief getting shitty about having to dig through radioactive dirt, occasionally while naked. Big points for the make-up department as well, having lots of fun with radiation poisoning *blood trickles sporadically out of nose*.
Rated 25 Jun 2019
32
94th
After I watched this I saw an apple that had been in my fridge for a week and thought "does this have radiation?"
Rated 01 Jul 2019
98
96th
Truly a masterclass in how to write and produce a mini series based on a historical event. Fantastic detail, acting, cinematography and editing lead to a very uncomfortable watch lead by performances by Jared Harris and Stellan Skarsgard. As we learn the true horror that unfolds Chernobyl takes an unflinching look at the fallout and the damage that occured as a result of many lies. Truly one of the most horrific disasters in history, don't watch unless you can deal with unsettling moments.
Rated 30 Jun 2019
77
81st
3rd episode is the best and 4th is the worst.
Rated 11 Jul 2019
95
99th
One of the most impressive achievements I've seen. This serie is technically and storywise perfect. It's balanced, accurate, exciting and yet terrifying. Loved every single performance too. This should be a mandatory series in school.
Rated 16 Jul 2019
95
98th
This one shocked me, even though I knew what's going to happen. We keep hearing stories about killing asteroids, nuclear war, gamma radiation from space, but in the end they remain just that: Stories. This one has really happened. It isn't just a scientist scaring children with dreadful possibilities. A single error can cause a catastrophe which can wipe out all of us. Our world is fragile, the miracle is if we stay alive and not if we live and HBO presents this fact in its complete horror.
Rated 28 Jul 2019
95
99th
Another exceptional miniseries from HBO. Spectacular production value with perfect pacing. Though it is a history, it feels like a horror.
Rated 05 Aug 2019
90
97th
Harris and Skarsgaard carry this gripping downer of a mini-series very well, but it's the combination of confident, pitch-perfect direction and the well-structured scripts that makes it exceptional.
Rated 05 Aug 2019
79
87th
Really good mini-series. It manages to present the science and the human stories so well. The themes are well handled and really come to a head by the end. The way it was structured was used creatively to really tell a story, which I think is usually a challenge for any type of disaster movie/show.
Rated 07 Aug 2019
90
97th
Absolutely riveting; beautifully filmed and detailed. So many stunning and perfectly captured moments.
Rated 06 Sep 2019
85
92nd
Anchored in great performances from all the actors and a relentless sense of doom, Chernobyl is an equally gripping and thorough retreading of one of the worst man-made disasters in recent history.
Rated 19 Apr 2020
50
14th
People were so disappointed by GoT S8 they thought this overblown TV melodrama was good lmao.
Rated 06 Feb 2020
100
99th
Why do we even bother to make up fiction, when stories like this exist in real life? You'd think that Chernobyl would be every conspiracy theorists wet dream, but it is the exact opposite. Sure, there's lots of lying and suppression of the truth, but there's no master-plan, no grand scheme to control the world; just nations wanting to not save faces and individuals wanting to save their own asses.
Rated 17 Dec 2020
50
67th
a masterfully made drama. anti-communist, invents new dramatic features, therefore unhistorical. deals with the "really existing socialism" very crudely, with a very simplistic, Western, anti-communist perspective. yet well-made.
Rated 23 Jul 2021
85
88th
Exceptionally good acting during the telling of one of the most tragic and terrifying accidents that has ever occurred. The real life loss and heroism was off the scale. Some horrific graphics of the carnage caused by intense radiation exposure. It highlights lessons learned that the world can never ignore. Well worth watching, but not for the faint of heart.
Rated 11 Sep 2021
85
86th
Can be a bit too overly dramatized at times, but otherwise this is fine telling of the worst (and most endlessly fascinating) nuclear disaster in history. Harris and Skarsgård are great as the leads. The tag-team duo of radiation and the need to present an image of strength is one of the best villainous pairs possible.
Rated 14 May 2023
2
17th
great horror when it wants to be (ep 1), bad drama and worse history. dialogue is awfully hackneyed in general, but the agenda-driven inaccuracies/stereotypes are the dealbreaker, unforgivably contradicting the show's stated moral with numerous misleading details about the minutiae and handling of the disaster, and laughable fictional subplots about a one-woman army going up against the trigger-happy KGB and vodka-drinking bureaucrats, or the pregnant woman's entire pseudoscientific arc.
Rated 18 Oct 2019
85
97th
We fail to see how few actually want to hear the truth. Hail to all scientists! The only true religion.
Rated 04 Jun 2019
65
40th
anti-komünizm propagandası olmasa 7.5/10
Rated 28 Apr 2023
86
58th
Really enjoyed the mini series.
Rated 09 Jun 2019
60
69th
On IMDB it's the best TV show of all-time. Err-no. But it was good and makes me want to read one of the new books on the subject. Some episodes were really tense, and without any flash or quick-cuts, explosions or screams. That's pretty cool.
Rated 18 Jun 2019
50
17th
Whupping, whirring, whopping, womping, whomping, thrumming … I think we can all agree that the most incredible thing that Chernobyl gave us is the awe-inspiring variety of helicopter sounds in the subtitles. Truly a masterpiece.
Rated 17 Nov 2019
75
57th
If only they avoided cheap emotional ploys and leftist undertones (the saint-like Belarusian woman physicist)...Alas, not too bad, but I wasn't sold on CCCP as pictured even though the scenography was flawless.
Rated 22 Oct 2019
8
86th
The best TV I've seen since season 1 of True Detective. In short: this series is stellar on all fronts -- from characters to cinematography and so on. There is no blemish.
Rated 24 Nov 2019
62
64th
I don't understand why ratings of documentaries and mini-series get inflated so much. I mean, OK, this is decent work, but 9.5 is a travesty.
Rated 08 May 2019
79
18th
audio-visuals are B-movish. writing & acting are below mediocre.
Rated 25 May 2019
55
22nd
özenli yapım, tarihsel olarak yanlış pek çok bilgi ve daha önemlisi bakış açısı. son bölümün ardından daha da detaylı incelemeler çıkacaktır. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/05/31/russia-should-have-made-hbos-chernobyl-a65821
Rated 08 Jun 2019
98
85th
1
Rated 11 Jun 2019
80
96th
I remember learning about Chernobyl from a docu-drama I watched as a kid and being utterly engrossed by it then, and this lengthier contemporary version is even better. Great acting, solid direction, and covers all the main points of the disaster and its immediate aftermath: put this all together and the decisions made by some characters is enough to make your blood boil. Although a cursory glance online suggests the makers may have taken a bit too much dramatic license in places here.
Rated 12 Jun 2019
100
97th
Perfect :D
Rated 17 Jun 2019
80
65th
A série é muito bem feita e os atores estão bem. Pesa negativamente um caráter propagandístico anti união soviética. Embora tenha havido de fato muitos erros graves a nível de política estatal, a série é maniqueísta e deixa muito superficiais os "vilões" e faz um teatro com o julgamento. Sem contar a necessidade de enfiar a kgb em tudo. Relatos de pessoas envolvidas na época questionam várias das interpretações contidas na série.
Rated 17 Jun 2019
100
98th
Surprise hit of the year for me. It's bikers how close we all came to disaster due to arrogance and idiocy
Rated 19 Jun 2019
85
95th
Solid period drama. Recommend
Rated 25 Jun 2019
88
96th
Could be considered a Lovecraftian work. Score would be even higher but for criticisms raised by Masha Gessen, mainly the naivety of the composite character played by Emily Watson as well as Jared Harris. The Dyatlov character and that whole control room & bunker sequence in the beginning is impeccable black humor.
Rated 18 Mar 2020
55
56th
Global dünyada her şey popülerlik. Bu verilen puanlar da tamamen sürü psikolojisi. Sosyalizm çok kötü, kapitalizm kusursuzu anlatan milyonuncu eser. Hiroshima için de aynı şevkle bir eser çeksinler de şu lanet ülkenin samimiyetine inanalım. Sovyetlerde geçen olayın İngilizce olması da ayrı komik. Bu kadar abartılmasına akıl sır erdiremiyorum. Eğer edebiyle nükleer santral yapılanmasını eleştirse bile sanatsal zayıflıktan 75 üzeri verilmeyecek bir dizi.
Rated 08 Aug 2019
7
95th
Awful sense of dread the entire time. Quite odd to see Jim from Friday Night Dinner in a serious role. Masterpiece/7
Rated 12 Aug 2019
82
70th
Very good chronicle of this tragedy -- aside from some character tangents that don't resolve entirely and some of the government officials portrayed as unrealistically villainous, this is clear storytelling with an impressive and thoughtfully used production value, all the while using economic time to keep a focus on not just the main persons, but the oblivious citizens as well.
Rated 21 Oct 2019
96
99th
It is not about the incident itself but everything surrounding it. The General Committee, KGB, intrinsic qualities of Russians both on a civilian and a governmental level and Belief -with a capital B-. Belief in the society, honour, freedom -though only the thought of it- and solidarity above all, regardless of the identity of the guilty. This is a beautifully crafted miniseries with every aspect. Especially the soundtrack by Hildur Guðnadóttir is notching it up a level.
Rated 28 Nov 2019
92
86th
Exceptionally well-crafted mini-series oddly comparatively falters during its first and final episodes (as the catastrophe takes place, and during the ultimate fall-out), which lack an emotional spark to offset the forensic detail. The middle episodes dealing with a gradual descent into nightmare are remarkably unsettling, with Harris, Watson and an unrecognisable Skarsgård perfect protagonists. The "stiff upper-lip" displayed here as soldiers walk to their doom would put the British to shame!
Rated 16 Dec 2019
88
96th
Real-life horror.
Rated 12 Jan 2020
90
93rd
Riveting depiction of the struggle of common sense against bureaucratic and greed fueled stupidity and how it transformed so many folks into unwilling heroes. Maybe this fuels an anti-nuclear public perception when nuclear energy may be key in our fight against global warming. But focusing on this is missing the point of this show entirely : "What is the cost of lies?"
Rated 17 Jun 2022
30
31st
Yeah sure!
Rated 04 Mar 2020
80
57th
It's main merit is in taking the focus from the tragedy to the crisis management. We still get to watch some tough men shoot puppies, and all that, but those scenes are reasonably short and are not the core of the series. The causes of the accident are explained in a clear manner and will stay in the minds of the viewers. It's a bit of a shame that most of the planet population remained ignorant about the real cause of the biggest technological disaster in history (me included).
Rated 21 Mar 2020
83
86th
The choice of a detached, at times meditative tone was absolutely the right one. It allows for the horrific events to speak for themselves in a most extraordinary way. Excellent writing, performances and direction. I will take its accuracy on faith, since I know nothing about the incident, other than it happened in my lifetime and it was a fairly big deal.
Rated 20 Mar 2020
4
99th
EPIC
Rated 05 Jul 2020
3
64th
Excellent series in most respects, but intentionally misleading on several occasions, usually for adding forced dramatization and artificially increasing tension.
Rated 29 Sep 2020
1
0th
Read into the history behind this, realized how much of this was just totally made up. No thanks.
Rated 02 Nov 2020
9
80th
Truly wonderful. Masterful use of music and sound design. Masterful use of framing and perspective. Infinitely rewatchable. Brilliantly nuanced writing. Brilliantly chosen mini-stories. Great set design. Amazing performances throughout. And a great and dramatic finale. STRONG 9
Rated 06 Jan 2021
50
26th
Nükleer karşıtlığına hayır. Bir nükleer de sen dik.
Rated 07 Jan 2021
81
74th
Well we in the middle knew some, but not all of it. And we still don't.
Rated 24 Feb 2021
91
95th
Watched in one setting, from 6am to 2pm. This is a well thought out miniseries with artistic standards and consistent dreadful atmosphere. Visual expression of upcoming / past consequences was well executed and really enjoyable. One of few off-putting details was spoken English language (and written Cyrillic), it didn't fit one bit. USSR politics part was a bit shallow, but I guess you can't have it all aye. Now I'm also a bit scared of the nuclear power plant I live near by. Please don't explod
Rated 08 Mar 2021
90
92nd
That's why HBO is better. Only 5 episodes, no filler, straight to the point, great production values, great acting. It's not an enjoyable show, you're either suffering because of the events or being frustrated at the incompetence and utter failure of the socialist/communist regime.
Rated 29 May 2021
74
30th
The problem with 'Chernobyl' isn't that the characters speak English but that they speak Scriptese, a language entirely composed of weighty affirmations and witty (or unwittingly ironic) repartee. All of the performers are excellent--kind of a school reunion for dignified English actors--and the direction is very effective, but there's no attempt at anything resembling sociological verisimilitude for the late USSR; the (Western) screenwriters' handprints are visible everywhere.
Rated 01 Jul 2021
95
85th
The series is really quite fantastic. I can't recommend this enough, although some minor inaccuracies irk me. The danger of the radiation is played up showing a fireman suffering burns almost right away at the scene of the reactor fire and a helicopter failing when near the core. In reality, these incidents are less immediate but equally horrifying.
Rated 18 Jul 2021
84
91st
god the music is good
Rated 24 Jul 2021
85
71st
informative series with a palpable dread throughout. some scenes are a bit overdramatic and the criticisms of the soviet union are reallly heavy handed
Rated 06 Aug 2021
96
97th
10????????????????????????????????????????????????/?????CP??????????"???????????????????????"/E03???????????????????????????????????????????????????/????????????????????????
Rated 29 Jan 2022
86
88th
Nailed it, right down to the core.
Rated 25 Oct 2022
85
90th
The first episode is one of the best hours of television I've ever seen.
Rated 13 Nov 2022
96
99th
Incredibly well written story which is just as much about the nightmare of life in Soviet in general as it is about the nightmare it focuses on.
Rated 31 Jan 2023
90
87th
“Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later that debt is paid.”
Rated 17 Mar 2023
85
91st
They cut a few corners making one scientist represent the work of many, but otherwise it's a riveting imagining of Chernobyl. it rightfully depicted the failure of government over the failure of nuclear.
Rated 30 Apr 2023
76
44th
Interesting. It's good, it doesn't overstay its welcome. But it's pretty slow and dry for such a monumental catastrophe.
Rated 01 Aug 2023
85
70th
It's obviously dramatized and let's be honest, being in the United States, this is always going to be spun from our perspective. That said, as someone who barely knew what happened in Chernobyl aside from that there was a nuclear accident, this was a relatively informative and interesting show. The drama parts were well done if not likely heavily editorialized, but for what its worth, it serves as a good show that could open the door for you to pursue more knowledge if you wish.
Rated 19 Dec 2023
100
95th
Everything about this show is fantastic: acting, script, production, music. I didn't know how they were going to make a procedural into such an entertaining show but they managed to do it. Really opened my eyes to what happened in this famous but somewhat mysterious disaster.
Rated 13 Mar 2024
99
95th
Chefs kiss. This series is engaging, exciting, terrifying, and really makes you rethink everything you know about this disaster. The magnitude of the thing weighs on you and forces you to come back to this show again and again. I'm only giving it a 99 because it's in English and no Russian or Ukrainian. Should have had subtitles but I get it.

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