Review of Chernobyl Diaries (2012) by Bobo K — 02 Nov 2012

This is the case of a good story gone bad. Let me start by saying I am a horror movie buff, I LOVE a good scary movie as well as the awesomely bad ones, but this is neither. The film starts off like a lot of horror films do, laughing, whooping it up and travel, where? Why, Russia, of course, where all things creepy happen (see Hostel).

A group of young people go on an extreme tour in a town near Chernobyl and this is where the creep fest begins. Without giving too much away, the town is undeniably creepy. There is something to be said for an abandoned town - items left behind, everything standing still.

There are no birds chirping, or bugs making noise, and it is chilling. The first half of this movie has you on the edge of your seat, but then, it takes a sharp left turn into not scary and just stupid.

Again, not wanting to give too much away to those who haven't seen it, but there is no explanation for the events of the second half of the film, no reason why, no big reveal. I can tell you that you are not sure why the creepers of the film are murderous, not even canibals really, just mindless murderers.

This film really had the potential to be something truly frightening, but it was ruined by the predictable and overdone ending. If there was even a minute amount of exposition or someone explaining the story that "some say, the people never left" or "not everyone made it out in time" to give some meat to the story, I would have at least finished the film with an idea of why or even how, but all you get are some vague references, vague scenes of hospital equipment and an ending that is terrible.

In fact, on the DVD, the alternate ending of the film is far better than what they went with in the theater. All in all, I gave this two stars because of the first half of the film. Watch at your own risk.