chernobyl diaries

Horror movies rely on stupid people doing stupid things. And you can’t get much more stupid than signing up for an “extreme tour” of the Chernobyl disaster site. Not only is the residual radiation a potential health hazard, but those rabid dogs and leftover nuclear mutants are a bitch!

Produced by Oren Peli, the Paranormal Activity mastermind, at least we should be thankful that Chernobyl Diaries doesn’t use the found footage approach, opting instead for a more traditional scary story format as stupid teens and their tour guide are stranded in the radiation zone after dark. Soon, shadowy figures emerge from the rubble of the surrounding town and drag our characters to some off-screen hell. Or maybe everyone is just in the basement drinking vodka…I’m not really sure!

And that’s the real problem with the film. The setting is unique, unusual and more than a little creepy (with one jump scare that’s guaranteed to do its job). But there are no ground rules laid out. We don’t know what’s happening or what’s happened to our annoying band of survivors. And without the stakes spelled out, it’s hard to get involved in what is otherwise just another horror movie with stupid people doing stupid things. Extras on Blu-ray include a DVD and digital copy along with an alternate ending and a few featurettes about the real Chernobyl disaster.