For decades, film fans have been trained about what to expect from disaster films. The film will start out with scientists trying to warn idiotic bureaucrats about the impending doom, using the scariest language possible to effectively convey the danger. These bureaucrats ignore the warnings and, of course, disaster strikes. Then the fallout occurs with normal people being affected by the danger and ultimately the world is saved by the bravery of some middle-aged action star. Right? Well, imagine that disaster movie happened in real life in 1986, and there was no Gerard Butler to save the day. That’s the basis of HBO’s “Chernobyl.”
If you’re a fan of history, or just mildly educated, you’ve probably heard about the Chernobyl disaster that took place in Ukraine over 30 years ago. The nuclear power plant suffered an explosion that sent incredible amounts of radiation across the region, killing many. HBO’s new limited series tells the “untold true story” of the accident and how it affected the lives of those in the area. The trailer for the series feels like your typical disaster movie trailer until you think about how this is a true story and really happened, which is immensely more terrifying than a fake Volcano erupting, a CGI tidal wave hitting New York City, or aliens going up against Will Smith.
The limited series has an incredible cast that includes Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Barry Keoghan, Emily Watson, Paul Ritter, Jessie Buckley, Adrian Rawlins, and Con O’Neill.
The first episode of “Chernobyl” arrives on HBO on May 6. (Apparently, there’s more on HBO in April and May than just “Game of Thrones.” Who knew?)
Here’s the synopsis:
On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, Soviet Union suffered a massive explosion that released radioactive material across Belarus, Russia and Ukraine and as far as Scandinavia and western Europe. Chernobyl dramatizes the story of the 1986 accident, one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history, and the sacrifices made to save Europe from the unimaginable disaster. Chernobyl premieres May 6 on HBO.
