Review of Chernobyl Diaries (2012) by Francisco G — 26 Nov 2013

This movie had two serious things going against it before my viewing: Oren Peli and the low reviews.

Turns out I ended up enjoying the movie quite a bit! The atmosphere was built rather well, thanks to the amazing setting, sense of dread it carries and by not showing or telling us jack right until the end. Also helps to have a well rounded cast of people that are less douchy than the majority in these films. I could sense the ordeal they were going through and some of the decisions they had to make, even if they seemed somewhat silly at times.

The bad thingies could be summed up to the off screen deaths and the derailment that is the last 20ish minutes. It tries to be more than what it is and looses a lot of what was built before thanks to it. There just isn't a good enough payoff in the end or during, for a movie like this. It plays the tropes of the genre too easily, so it can't get past the mediocrity.