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And funnily enough, that’s the highlight of the movie.īut the real kicker, the real sad flaw of the whole affair, is that it seems to exploit real tragedy without conscience. The unsurprising ending is positively marked only by the inclusion of Marilyn Manson’s “No Reflection” song in the closing credits. Instead, what we have is the latest yawn-inspiring slasher flick a fruitless attempt to recreate the box office success of Peli’s prior film. Unfortunately, Peli seems to think that shaking a camera and tossing around remarks like “ What was that?!” and “ What is this place?!” will result in oohs and aahs on the part of the audience. The script is by Oren Peli, creator of Paranormal Activity. Shoddy scare tactics, in other words, that stopped being effective a decade ago.

But whenever creeping dread crops up, it is quickly truncated by a predictable event or scene that exudes corniness and overkill.īasically, it’s all a lot of sound effects and panic that amounts to nothing.

There are brief glimpses of promise, such as when the terrified group lock themselves in their van, surrounded by darkness. Not only does “Chernobyl…” stubbornly adhere to its cliche-worshipping tunnel vision it also fails to deliver any sort of element that’s actually horrifying. With this story in particular, the actors seem to be simply going through the motions, looking more jaded than the “seen-it-all-before” teen audience for which this film is marketed.

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The movie is a great example of how horror is rapidly devolving into a genre that no longer knows how to define itself. More toxic than the radiation to which these characters are subjected is the virus known as “lack of creativity” – something “Chernobyl Diaries” has in spades. It’s never quite explained what they are – survivors of the disaster? Zombies? The filmmakers don’t seem too concerned about details here. The remainder of the movie chronicles the group’s desperate attempt to find a way out of Pripiat after discovering that radioactive, cannibalistic, emaciated creatures plague the area. After nightfall, bizarre noises are heard, and Uri, gun in hand (how convenient), goes out to see what’s wrong, only to be killed. Predictably, there’s something wrong with the tour van, and the group is stuck there. Right from the jump, any emotional investment one may establish with the characters goes out the window: The setup is rushed, and offers brief, mostly unwanted snapshots of these vapid peoples’ lives and plans.Īfter exploring the abandoned city, tour guide Uri says it’s time to go after the group has a run-in with a wild – and presumably irradiated – bear. Main character Chris intends to head to Moscow to propose to his girlfriend, but his brother convinces the group to embark on an “extreme tour” of Pripiat first. The plot follows a group of young Americans backpacking through Europe. The movie relies on dark shapes, sudden noises, and fast, shaky camera movement. A formulaic horror film with the backdrop of a true historical disaster, “Chernobyl Diaries” seems to casually abuse the real-life story behind the abandoned city of Pripiat for the sake of a few scares.

Chernobyl diarie