7 Reasons Why You Should Be Watching Chernobyl

The creeping sensation of the horrific events is only matched by the fact that the show never, ever turns away from it. There’s no glorification or gore fest to try and excite though, all you’re left with is a fearful, hollow sensation that the people never stood a chance.

The violence is told through such a sterile lens that the fear is all generated from us; modern horrors could learn a thing or two from Chernobyl.

At times, the show lets you fill with dread as the shot skulks down dark passageways, with the dead and dying down in the shadows. At others, the effects of the disaster springs out, as previously healthy people are overcome by the illness in mere moments.

We also see the effects on various animals, with a shot showcasing a bird falling dead to the ground as the radiation leaks up particularly harrowing. Nothing is safe in Chernobyl.

It’s unflinching on a human level too. There is no attempt to spice up the board meetings with character rivalry or history - instead, the disaster takes centre stage. The show relentlessly keeps things all about Chernobyl, and while that’s not an approach most shows could get away with, this one certainly does.