Czarnobyl

I often approach highly-rated films and series with caution because it’s happened to me more than once that my opinion completely differed from the majority. With Chernobyl, all my concerns quickly went away. Craig Mazin did an excellent job with the screenplay, the series was imbued with a fantastic atmosphere from start to finish, there was surprisingly little melodrama and an excellent cast as a bonus. Plus, the authors managed to make me remember the total brainwash by the media and school. The propaganda at the time must have broken all records for downplaying the actual events. (18.08.2019)

I'm not sure if I've ever encountered such a gripping opening episode in a series before. Seriously, I'm racking my brain, but nothing comes close. Regardless of how much artistic license the filmmakers took, the atmosphere they created in the first episode was absolutely mesmerizing. The sense of fear, hopelessness, and despair was almost palpable — it was a truly intense experience. (17.08.2019)

Apart from the slightly weird Gorbachev, I don't have any complaints about this episode. This series had me hooked right from the start, and I can't fathom what the creators would have to do to make me stop enjoying it. So far, I'm thoroughly satisfied. (18.08.2019)

I've been singing praises for the past two episodes, but the third one was even better. Once again, hats off to the creators for crafting an atmosphere that's downright chilling. While today's horror movies often leave me chuckling, Chernobyl sends shivers down my spine. And that funeral scene with the concrete mixer? That's the stuff nightmares are made of. (18.08.2019)

The fourth episode struck me as the weakest (up until now). Sure, showcasing the extensive efforts and scale of the task at hand makes sense. But delving too much into the political races and the final truth debate grated on me. It somehow broke the illusion of witnessing real events that the series had so skillfully built up. Instead, I found myself irritated by the all-too-familiar rhetoric that seems to saturate our present-day discourse. (18.08.2019)

In the last episode, two things stood out for me. Firstly, the way they reconstructed the events leading up to the explosion was top-notch and thoroughly enjoyable. Secondly, Comrade Legasov's detailed explanation of how the nuclear reactor functions and the reasons behind the RBMK reactor explosion made me understand it better. (18.08.2019)