Review of Chernobyl Diaries (2012) by Midlands M — 19 Oct 2013

A great set up sees an extreme tourist day trip turn nasty as a group of travellers visit a supposed ghost town near the site of the Russian nuclear disaster. Unfortunately, that's where the positivity ends as these day trippers suffer from an extreme case of mental meltdown as we watch slow-witted American teens enter a chain reaction of stupidity as they choose every wrong option presented to them.

With Scream (and now Cabin in the Woods) deconstructing the horror clichés I can't help but blow up like a mushroom cloud every time I see people return to locations they know to be dangerous or decide to go into dark rooms to "explore".

A fusion of handheld camera work (the trailer suggested it was 'found-footage' but apart from one scene it's not) and pretty decent performances from the unknown actors gives the impression of realism but unconvincing motivations and unnatural decision-making helps dismantle any of the movie's authenticity.

A unique showpiece in the reactor towards the end provides some critical scares but when the health of the protagonists is more concerning to the audience than their survival from the "creatures" chasing them, you know the film has missed the mark.

Fallout film fail. Midlands Movies Mike 6.5/10.