This article discusses the ending of the Netflix film Chernobyl 1986, so it will contain major spoilers.
Chernobyl 1986 is based on the true incident of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster, which has some good performances from the actors. It stars Russian actors Danila Kozlovsky and Oksana Akinshina in the lead roles. They play the respective roles, Alexey and Olga as lovers.
The story begins with these two lovers meeting after 10 years and we come to know that Alexey had abandoned her earlier. Soon we come to know that they have a son brought up by Olga alone while Alexey didn’t know about his existence. Alexey forms a special bond with his son, Alex, and tries to rekindle his relationship with Olga. He asks Olga to come with him as he intends to start a new life with her. But Olga refuses to do so as she is afraid of Alexey’s tendency of fleeing from his responsibilities.
While all of this happens, the disaster takes place, and everything changes. Being close to the explosion site, Alex contaminates himself with radioactive radiation and his health deteriorates. As a firefighter by profession, Alexey asks to volunteer to go on a mission to stop the fuel burn to get through to the aquifer below the reactor. Initially reluctant, Alexey accepts this mission.
So, we can see he does not flee from his responsibility this time. The situation brings some kind of change within him. But his mission fails on his first attempt. Though Alexey gets his ticket to Switzerland, he does not gain the trust in Olga’s eyes. So, he volunteers again, this time the mission is almost suicidal. But he succeeds this time.
However, he cannot pull it through this time. In a kind of surreal scene, when he starts to drown in the underwater reservoir, he sees images of Olga, Alex, and himself on a beach enjoying themselves, and then images of men in hazmat suits cleaning the area. This scene cuts to actual men in hazmat suits cleaning the area indicating everything is now under control.
Actually, this vision of Alexey in the abyss indicates his guilt for his past behavior toward Olga and his son Alex. He wants to be with them, but he realizes at that moment that is not going to happen. He ultimately is going to die.
It does not end with death but his situation is terminal. Olga comes to him and lays with him on his hospital bed without caring about the radiation. This symbolizes that Alexey’s heroic work finally melts Olga’s heart and he gains respect from her. This is a heartbreaking scene showing how many families like this had been destroyed by this man-made disaster.
Netflix’s Chernobyl 1986 ending explained
In the end scene, we see Alex reuniting with his mother after three months without Alexey by her side, indicating that he can’t make it. She hugs Alex and the scene cuts to black. Then we see the real stock footage of the real liquidators of the actual incident, showing how many sacrifices they had to go through for this disaster.
Chernobyl 1986 shows how people had suffered the worst man-made disaster in the history of humankind and their indomitable fight for survival with unity. For their sacrifices, humankind survives that day. And with this, we all can say, “above all of the storm, humankind will win all the time.”
