A must see!! Considering that the world seems to have (on average) a nuclear accident once every ten years (approx.) The last one being 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster ....we are probably due for another one soon & it would be good to be armed with some basic knowledge about what happens during a nuclear accident & its impact post accident.

An excellent docudrama / HBO miniseries about the 1986 Chernobyl explosion disaster that was caused by a nuclear accident at a power plant in Ukraine (formerly part of the Soviet Union). Due to the major explosion, over 100 radioactive elements were released into the atmosphere and the radiation levels were so extremely high that inhabitants around the area were forced to evacuate their homes. Great acting plus a riveting account of a tragic event in history that has had unfortunate, lasting effects.

Highly recommend this mini-series as it really opens up a window on what life was like in Soviet Russia and how self-interest (both personal and national) and incompetence led to the disaster. Not an easy movie to watch though, as the cost in human and animal life was clearly painted though it did not always, thankfully, appear on-screen.

Horrifying.
The series was well done. My chief complaint: all of the actors spoke English, (lots of British accents) but documents and other print (also, news broadcasts and public announcements) were in Russian with no sub-titling or translation.
For me, this docudrama brought up as many questions as it answered. I'm planning to check out Svetlana Alexievich's Voices from Chernobyl to learn even more about this disaster and the people involved.

Fantastic mini-series! Acting was superb, even though all the Russians had British accents. It was very depressing, but I highly recommend watching it. (Note: There are a couple of scenes where they were shooting dogs, although the actual killing wasn't shown. If you would have trouble watching that, you can easily skip around that part.)

Statistically, nuclear power is a safe source of power. However, nothing is safe if corruption and incompetence reign in the industry. This movie will scare people. It is that well done. Gripping, and the acting was outstanding.

If this is not the best mini-series I have ever seen, I don't remember what the best one was. The true story is well known and the acting was excellent in every character that came across the screen. I do not remember single second that was boring on uninteresting. There were a couple of what I thought was dead ends but they came together at the end. I highly recommend this one. It made me want to read more about the whole event.

This docu-series showcases the consequences of "saving face" and the penalty for "whistle-blowing" in authoritarian governments.

If you are tired of watching contagion-type movies but still want to see the effects of terrible leadership during a national crisis, watch this gripping story based on true life events.

The uglier history is, the greater the imperative that it never be forgotten.
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This well produced docudrama is graphically obligatory in its realism as an historically accurate portrayal. The intimate details presented within the vast scope of "Chernobyl", deftly elucidate the complexities that led to the original disaster...and personalizes examples of its toll.
More than a depiction of technocratic irresponsibility, it is also the TRUE story of a subjugated people's indomitable courage....and how the faintest glow of TRUTH still managed to project itself through the blackness of the Communist state.

This is a very well executed show but I found it very difficult to watch. It is disturbing, chilling, disillusioning, sad and so, so bleak. Phenomenal acting and film production but pretty graphic and disturbing to watch.