Summary
A gripping watch that is best when it shows real footage from the earthquake that left Everest and Nepal distraught in 2015. As a result, what follows is 3 episodes of decent television.
This Netflix series, Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake, explores how a devastating earthquake in 2015 led to thousands of deaths. Along the way, we learn of heartbreaking stories from the residents, rescuers, and tourists, all of whom were tragically a part of this traumatic disaster.
First of all, with a first-hand account and actual footage from the earthquake, the docuseries does a great job of frightening the viewers with its storytelling. The opening shot is horrifying to watch. And you can only imagine the fear that went through those who experienced it.
Rather than just being a feature-length documentary, Aftershock instead treats us to three episodes. One odd feature, though, is how the first episode runs at 38 minutes, yet the other two are close to an hour in length.
It would have been nice if the episodes had all been around the same length. Instead of blending all of the stories together, each episode focuses on a particular area. There are interviews with a number of people throughout the docuseries. And they include experts and mountain climbers.
Above all, it’s not the most pleasant of watches. Mainly because it’s so hard to witness the horror that people went through during and after the earthquake. It puts a lot of things into perspective and makes you thankful that you have never had to go through such an upsetting event. As the docuseries is three episodes, not every second of it is as riveting as other true docuseries.
Finally, I feel that, as a result, it could have been done with just two hour-long episodes that blended the stories together. Even so, Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake is a fascinating watch, and basically, it is worth investing nearly 3 hours of your time into this show.
