Macabre...ish Horror Review: Chernobyl Diaries

Chernoby Diaries, 2012/ 1 hr 33 min

Six friends decide to go on an extreme tour during their European trip and make a trip to a small town in the shadow of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the site of the 1986 disaster. They are reassured it's safe and get themselves a tour guide, ex special forces, Yuri, and head to the abandoned town.

But on the way, they hit a road block when they are deterred for supposed maintenance but their trusty tour guide Yuri, finds another way in. They find an empty town as it was, frozen in time but 25 years older. Weather worn, blighted and eerie. And it's all fun and games until it starts getting dark.

There is evidence of life there and Yuri starts getting nervous to get them out. Once they get to the vehicle, they discover it's been sabotaged. He radios for help and there's no response. When Chris and Yuri go for help, only one returns and he comes back chewed up. So on top of being stranded, they are also being hunted. They are 13 miles away from help and every wild dog, fish and bear in the area, is starving. But wait, there's more! Some areas are still high radiation and unsafe, plus there's a grave yard full of vehicles. One, a tour bus, full of bullet holes, the bullets originated from inside the vehicle. It's kind of a devastating watch.

This movie is a lot of working up to it and a lot of jump scares. The unknown is what makes it eerie. There are some graphic moments as far as wound effects but it’s the unknown that’s scary and what might be hiding in the dark...then you see what’s in the dark. It's a well made shaky cam movie but if you're expecting a bunch of graphic kills and monsters throughout the whole movie, pass on this one. Having said that, I enjoyed it!! And it has a great score.