Chernobyl: Season 1

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 27 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 399 Ratings

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9.0

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9.0	User Score Universal acclaim based on 399 Ratings

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Chernobyl: What Is Chernobyl

Now Playing: Chernobyl: What Is Chernobyl

Season Details & Credits

HBO | Season Premiere Date: May 6, 2019

Summary: Soviet nuclear physicist Valery Legasov (Jared Harris), Soviet Deputy Prime Minister Boris Shcherbina (Stellan Skarsgård), and Soviet nuclear physicist Ulana Khomyuk (Emily Watson) were some of the people who worked to stop radioactive material from the 1986 nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant from spreading further inSoviet nuclear physicist Valery Legasov (Jared Harris), Soviet Deputy Prime Minister Boris Shcherbina (Stellan Skarsgård), and Soviet nuclear physicist Ulana Khomyuk (Emily Watson) were some of the people who worked to stop radioactive material from the 1986 nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant from spreading further in this HBO/Sky co-production five-part miniseries.… Expand

Genre(s): Drama, Movie/Mini-Series, Suspense

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Season 1 Episodes

8.4
S1:E5. Vichnaya Pamyat
Air Date: June 3, 2019
8.6
S1:E4. The Happiness of All Mankind
Air Date: May 27, 2019
8.9
S1:E3. Open Wide, O Earth
Air Date: May 20, 2019

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Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

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Critic Reviews

100

Uncle Barky Ed Bark

May 7, 2019

Pleasant viewing it’s not. But in terms of capturing a time and place, the five-part miniseries succeeds on every level. ... HBO’s extraordinary retelling of what went down in Pripyat and the then Soviet Union at large is its own reward for now -- and a certain multiple trophy winner during next year’s awards season. Read full review

100

Terry Terrones

May 1, 2019

Even though it can be a tough watch, I found “Chernobyl” riveting. The sacrifice of those involved is inspiring, making it a mini-series you won’t want to miss. Read full review

IndieWire Ben Travers

Apr 27, 2019

“Chernobyl” won’t be for everyone. With constant, low-simmering intensity and an all-too-visible air of death, the vivid recreation of an unimaginable disaster can be uncomfortable to say the least. ... But Mazin and Renck do an impressive job of inviting the audience into a story filled with so many horrors. Read full review

Keith Phipps

Apr 26, 2019

It doubles as a warning about who pays the cost when the hard facts of science butt up against political agendas, whether decades ago on the other side of the Iron Curtain or here and now. Some bad decisions have half-lives that last for centuries. Read full review

Hank Stuever

May 6, 2019

HBO’s fascinating and necessarily bleak miniseries “Chernobyl” is every bit as grim as it looks — maybe even grimmer than that. Read full review

Matthew Gilbert

May 2, 2019

Yes, watching this miniseries is a grim affair, and I mean that as a great compliment to creator, writer, and executive producer Craig Mazin and director Johan Renck. There’s nothing here dulled by the decades that have passed by, no compromises to make it all more watchable. It’s a nightmare well-told. Read full review

Mike Hale

May 3, 2019

Director Johan Renck take an event unlike any other in human history and turn it into a creaky and conventional, if longer than usual, disaster movie. Read full review

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User Score

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9.0

User Reviews

Hemphiz1

Jul 11, 2019

Never have I watched anything that's made me mentally feel anything... But this show, I can't even put it into words other than it made me feel "weird" it was absolutely immense in every way

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

Evkaxy

May 16, 2019

The first episode was so good. There was a lot of attention put into making things look authentic. It is as bleak as you would expect USSR in mid 80s to be. Everything from camera filters, and lighting to costumes, interiors and hairstyles paint a very convincing picture. Radiation burns isThe first episode was so good. There was a lot of attention put into making things look authentic. It is as bleak as you would expect USSR in mid 80s to be. Everything from camera filters, and lighting to costumes, interiors and hairstyles paint a very convincing picture. Radiation burns is not something that you can see on television every day and many of the scenes were truly shocking. It was like watching apocalyptic horror movie...except it wasn't a fiction… Expand

13 of 17 users found this helpful134

BlueGuyTalks

Mar 25, 2023

Chernobyl uses body horror, scientific thinking, and the overbearing censorship of 1980s Soviet Russia to thoroughly and mightily reassess one of the biggest and worst disasters of the 20th century.

FULL REVIEW HERE: https://boxd.it/3MayUj

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Broyax

Aug 9, 2019

Après avoir vu cette série, on se sent regonflé à bloc comme un écolo barbu binoclard avec les pancartes "non au nucléaire"... on en ressort en effet horrifié, consterné, sidéré. En même temps, une telle catastrophe est dûe à de multiples causes -très bien expliquées dans la série- non liéesAprès avoir vu cette série, on se sent regonflé à bloc comme un écolo barbu binoclard avec les pancartes "non au nucléaire"... on en ressort en effet horrifié, consterné, sidéré. En même temps, une telle catastrophe est dûe à de multiples causes -très bien expliquées dans la série- non liées directement à l'énergie de l'atome.

Une énergie, précisons-le d'ailleurs pour nos écolos, "propre" entre guillemets : elle ne dégage pas le vilain, le très vilain CO2, ni de fumées polluantes et ne sent pas mauvais comme le biogaz... et en plus, elle fournit une électricité vraiment bon marché. Bref, elle assure un avenir radieux !

C'est juste que confiée à des enfoirnazes de communistes, ça peut pèter méchamment... et encore... -comme on s'en rend compte ici- le pire a en fait été évité ! Grâce au courage des Russes et à leurs nombreux sacrifices, malgré le poids écrasant de la bureaucratie des Soviets et la Guerre Froide qui n'était pas encore terminée...

Bien documentée en tout cas mais pas documentaire pour autant, d'une densité bienvenue (seulement cinq épisodes d'une heure), Chernobyl ne sombre jamais dans le pathos ou le violoneux mais se cantonne aux faits et -mon dieu- les faits parlent d'eux-mêmes... Les acteurs sont tous excellents avec notamment un Stellan Skarsgard impeccable, le seul connu du lot d'ailleurs.

La reconstitution des évènements s'avère rigoureuse et toujours très claire et l'ensemble se révèle finalement aussi effrayant que poignant. Et terrifiant. En France, très éloigné de tout cela, on a pas mesuré l'ampleur de ce cataclysme ; on en mesure toute l'ampleur à travers cette série et accessoirement la faillite d'un système sclérosé, bouffé de l'intérieur, celui de l'Union Soviétique corrompue et à bout de souffle.

Une grande, très grande série superbement réalisée, sobre, authentique et touchante.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

Aryjunior

May 18, 2019

Great TV show, I am not been so impressed since breaking bad for a TV serie

5 of 6 users found this helpful51

OlivierPiel

May 29, 2019

Excellent drama. Top-notch writing (while this has been done before, the meshing of the different story lines from the political to the micro level is flawless), editing and cinematography (that end-scene with the beam of light at the first episode was one of the best of the year). TheExcellent drama. Top-notch writing (while this has been done before, the meshing of the different story lines from the political to the micro level is flawless), editing and cinematography (that end-scene with the beam of light at the first episode was one of the best of the year). The quality of the photography is breath-taking.
The lead actor is fantastic.

The only minor question is on whether Russian/Ukrainian actors would have been preferable. Also the portrayal of the Gorbachev character was slightly embarrassing for an older generation like mine, who has a vivid recollection of him.… Expand

4 of 10 users found this helpful46

akvadrako

Jun 3, 2019

It's okay but overly dramatic. It also seems a bit like anti-nuclear propaganda, greatly exaggerating the danger.

3 of 12 users found this helpful39

SEE ALL 57 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

82

Series Overview
Season 1

82
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: May 6, 2019
- 8.4
  S1:E5. Vichnaya Pamyat
  Air Date: June 3, 2019
- 8.6
  S1:E4. The Happiness of All Mankind
  Air Date: May 27, 2019
- 8.9
  S1:E3. Open Wide, O Earth
  Air Date: May 20, 2019
- 9.3
  S1:E2. Please Remain Calm
  Air Date: May 13, 2019
- 9.2
  S1:E1. 1:23:45
  Air Date: May 6, 2019