Summary
After more than a decade of waiting, fans finally got their hands on a newS.T.A.L.K.E.R.title.S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobylis a huge expansion of the concepts introduced in the originalS.T.A.L.K.E.R.trilogy, which is both a relief to fans and something that might turn some newcomes away.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.is not for everyone, and neither are most of the films below, but they are perfect for anyone who enjoys the game. These movies are either directly connected toS.T.A.L.K.E.R.because of the subject matter or for having related themes. Like the game, many of the movies below are unconventional but rewarding experiences.
7Annihilation
An Expedition Into A Dangerous Zone
This 2018 film stars Natalie Portman as she ventures into a mysterious place called The Shimmer. The area appeared after a meteor strike. Previous attempts to understand it have proved unsuccessful.
The Shimmer is not only filled with strange phenomena; it is also extremely dangerous.Annihilationis both terrifying and mystifying, with just as much wonder as there is blood and gore.By the end of the movie, some questions are answered, but the most important issues are still left up in the air for the audience’s interpretation.
6The Road
A Father Protecting His Child
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.is just as much about the fascination with the Zone as it is about the ability to survive in it.The Roadis exclusively a brutal tale about doing whatever it takes to protect one’s family and the horror at what others do to survive in the apocalypse. The movie is a mostly unflinching adaptation of the novel by legendary writer Cormac McCarthy.
As brutal as it is, the novel includes some even more explicit content. The story is unconcerned with the reason for the post-apocalyptic scenario. Instead, it is laser-focused on its themes and the story between the father and child.
5Escape From New York
This Zone Is A Crime-Filled Dump
It can be easy to forget thatS.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2is not a post-apocalyptic story. Maybe dystopian, but The Zone is an autonomous area and not representative of the state of the world. This makesEscape From New Yorka solid companion viewing.
Instead of a catastrophe, John Carpenter’s movie uses exorbitant crime rates as thereason for New York Citybeing cordoned off from the rest of the world.Escape From New Yorkis pulpy and unpredictable. The movie’s main appeal is star Kurt Russell and the wacky criminal personalities that pop up in the ruined New York.
4The Bell Of Chernobyl
A Documentary From When The Disaster Was Still Fresh
This excellent documentaryabout the Chornobyl disaster came out in 1987, only one year after it occurred. The film has a ton of footage of the area still fresh after the catastrophe and, more importantly, interviews with those who experienced it. It also details those who are just starting to fall ill from the effects of the tragedy.
While the more relaxed policies of perestroika (or rebuilding) were in effect, and censorship was not as restrictive as it was just a few years earlier, it is still rational to take some of the information in the documentary with a grain of salt. All the same, it is a fascinating document of what the area was like a year later.
The modern spelling of the power plant is Chornobyl, based on the Ukrainian spelling, but we kept it spelled the original way in the title to make the film easier to find online.
3The Endless
A Haunting Sci-Fi Horror Tale
The Endlessstarts with two brothers returning to a camp they lived in during their younger years that may or may not have been a death cult. The setup is the tamest the movie gets as events spiral intodark sci-fi weirdness.
The existential themes and lack of answers makesThe Endlesscreepy even as the credits roll. Anyone who playsS.T.A.L.K.E.R.for the unexplained anomalies within The Zone will get a kick out of the events depicted inThe Endless.
2Decay
The First Dramatization Of The Chornobyl Disaster
By now, there have been plenty of dramatic retellings of the tragedy that occurred at theChornobyl nuclear power plant.Decay, however, came out in 1990, just four years after the disaster. The movie was written and directed by Mikhail Belikov, who is from the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
Even after the brutal realism of theChernobylHBO miniseries, the factDecaycame out so shortly after the actual events and was helmed by a Ukrainian director still makes it worth viewing. Though it is obviously not as graphic as the Craig Mazin show, the filming technology of the time and the fact it is filmed in the region without needing to recreate the historical era adds a unique eeriness to it that no modern interpretation can fully capture.
1Atlantis
A Veteran Dealing With PTSD In A Harsh Environment
Atlantiscomes from Ukrainian director Valentyn Vasyanovych. It takes place in the near future after a war with Russia polluted parts of the country, making it nearly uninhabitable. The main character is a veteran of that war, suffering and dealing with the effects of PTSD.
Atlantis’sstory is told with long takes from mostly wide angles, showcasing the dreary environments where the action takes place. Despite this grim setting, the movie ultimately has a message of hope and moving forward from trauma.S.T.A.L.K.E.R.uses its near-future sci-fi setting to instill wonder and inspire exploration in the player.
Atlantisis immediately colder and more unwelcoming, but they both have a positive message at the end, other than the cliché “humans are the real monsters” theme at the heart of a lot of dystopian or post-apocalyptic stories.
