Just a year before the COVID-19 pandemic started, I was half-listening to a podcast when one of the hosts began talking about a new series he had been watching on HBO. He was on episode three, which he said was one of the most disturbing episodes of television he had ever seen. Something about hospitals, something about skin, something about not being able to eat. Intrigued, I jotted the show’s name in my Notes app. I needed something to watch after finishing The Haunting of Hill House, and this series sounded like something I’d enjoy.
The reason I bring up the pandemic is that it’s chilling that a 2019 series about a real-life tragedy would unintentionally foreshadow what was coming for us in 2020. Over the span of a few short months, I’d find myself working at a hospital while everyone else questioned (and ignored) the government and official statements. Nobody was sure what was happening; mishandling led to a lack of transparency and reliable information, which destroyed lives. And all of that is far more terrifying than anything anyone could come up with in a horror film.
If you somehow missed the hype the first time around, the series is Chernobyl, which you can still find on HBO Max. Written and created by Craig Mazin (The Last of Us), the five-part series follows the events leading up to, during, and after the Chernobyl disaster of 1986.
As this viewer wrote on Letterboxd, Chernobyl is “nerve-shredding, well-paced and grimly told….by far the greatest dramatization of human error ever produced for television, emphasizing that the toxicity of humanity is just as destructive as the deadly fumes of nuclear energy.”
Looking back, I’m not sure why the host on the podcast I was listening to back then was so focused on the gore and the body horror in episode three. Yes, it’s upsetting. But I don’t necessarily think that’s what makes Chernobyl so effective.
What sets Chernobyl apart from other historical dramas is its commitment to the horror of the ordinary and the strength of its cast. Led by Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson, and Paul Ritter, there are some stellar performances here, but I’d like to highlight Jessie Buckley as Lyudmilla Ignatenko specifically. She captures the grief, suffering, and bravery of everyone involved in the disaster. The image of her standing at her husband’s funeral with his shoes in her hands is guaranteed to stay with you long after you finish watching.
Watch the trailer below:
Now, I’m sure some of you are wondering if I’ve seen the 2012 film Chernobyl Diaries. And to that, my answer is no (and I’m not trying to anytime soon). But I encourage anyone interested in the Chernobyl disaster or in historical dramas in general to check out this series.
And if you’ve seen Chernobyl and love it as much as I do, let me know: @ashjenexi on Instagram and X.
Categorized: Streaming News