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Chernobyl Diaries
Metascore
31 out of 100

Generally unfavorable - based on 15 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 15
  3. Negative: 8 out of 15
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  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Clark Collis
    May 25, 2012
    67
    If nowhere near as scary as the original Paranormal, the result is superior to many of the low-budget terror flicks that have arrived since (yes, The Devil Inside, we're talking about you) and benefits hugely from Dimitri Diatchenko's performance as moviedom's Worst. Tour. Guide. Ever.
  2. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Frank Scheck
    May 25, 2012
    60
    The novelty of the setting ultimately proves highly effective. Shot mainly in Eastern European locations that effectively stand in for Prypiat, which is now actually a tourist site, the film is highly convincing in its verisimilitude.
  3. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    May 25, 2012
    50
    Chernobyl Diaries is afflicted with a fatal flaw that damages many horror films: after a better-than-average setup and a promising first half, everything falls apart.
  4. Variety
    Reviewed by: Joe Leydon
    May 25, 2012
    50
    Scattered stretches of suspense and a few undeniably potent shocks are not enough to dissipate the sense of deja vu that prevails throughout Chernobyl Diaries, a wearyingly predictable thriller about "extreme tourists."
  5. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Scott Tobias
    May 25, 2012
    42
    It's mostly boilerplate horror, plucking visual ideas from better sources and relying on the sick novelty of referencing an actual catastrophe.
  6. Movieline
    Reviewed by: Alison Willmore
    May 25, 2012
    40
    The problem with Chernobyl Diaries isn't that it's offensive, it's that it's dumb.
  7. Arizona Republic
    Reviewed by: Bill Goodykoontz
    May 25, 2012
    40
    In Chernobyl Diaries, directed by Bradley Parker, stupidity is taken to extremes.
  8. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Michael O'Sullivan
    May 25, 2012
    38
    There's a nagging question at the heart of Chernobyl Diaries. It isn't what, or who, is stalking these kids. After awhile, the answer becomes apparent, leading to a denouement that, while mildly exciting, feels like a ride you've been on before.
  9. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Claudia Puig
    May 25, 2012
    38
    Despite an unlikely setting and a moderately intriguing premise, Chernobyl Diaries proves to be a generic horror flick where young tourists are systematically victimized in unoriginal and not terribly scary ways.
  10. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Mark Olsen
    May 25, 2012
    30
    The lack of suspense and surprise in this dispiritingly rote film becomes its own form of contamination.
  11. Boxoffice Magazine
    Reviewed by: Sara Maria Vizcarrondo
    May 25, 2012
    30
    If this horror movie cashes in on the audience that echoes its character's awareness ("That's where the nucular thing happened, right?") then we're about to learn how low our national academic standards are.
  12. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    May 26, 2012
    25
    The movie wants us to find this frightening, but there's no suspense, no terrifying images.
  13. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Andy Webster
    May 25, 2012
    20
    The "Paranormal Activity" movies don't teem with metaphor, and neither does this film, directed by Brad Parker. The original "Night of the Living Dead" left you with plenty to chew on, so to speak; Chernobyl Diaries just leaves you feeling empty.
  14. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Nick Schager
    May 25, 2012
    12
    With the faux-verité aesthetics of [Rec], the American-tourists-in-Eastern-European-hell setup of Hostel, and the brain of a mushy radioactive mutant zombie thingie, Chernobyl Diaries is little more than decomposed horror leftovers.
  15. Slate
    Reviewed by: Dana Stevens
    May 25, 2012
    10
    You might actively root for their collective demise, if you could rouse yourself to care one way or the other. Go gallivanting in Chernobyl and you get what you pay for, nimrods.
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User Reviews

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User Score
5.2 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 10
  3. Negative: 4 out of 10
  1. DanielOnFilm
    2
    The problem with Chernobyl Diaries is that the way the characters behave isn't true to human nature. The characters act not according to human nature, but according to the necessities of the plot. I use the term "characters" loosely. Most are one dimensional at best. They exist merely to supply the film with the necessary bodies for a body count. When characters struggle, it looks like the setup to a joke, and we laugh at them, making Chernobyl Diaries unintentionally funny in parts. There was, in fact, a fair amount of laughter from the audience at a midnight screening I attended. The largely unknown cast of actors struggle with the material, unable to flesh out thinly drawn characters. An audience member gave a forced clap at Chernobyl Diaries' end. His sarcasm was not missed; it was finally over. Full review on my blog… Full Review »
  2. danro
    7
    Chernobyl Diaries has a few flaws and horror cliches, but nothing you wont forgive after watching it. It relies more on what you don't see vs what you do. There are no points where it lags or drags, very intense. You wont fall in love with the characters but you will find yourself trying to turn around to see what that noise was. For horror buffs and date nighters, you wont go wrong. For everyone else, if you've seen the other summer blockbusters add this one to this list and enjoy.… Full Review »
  3. Myffubs
    4
    Chernobyl Diaries continues in the vein of many recent horror flicks, relying on an overabundance of jump scenes -- replete with the often-favored loud noises -- to suggest that the audience should be scared. Uh, huh. The movie opens as three American friends meet a fourth in Kiev. Paul and Chris are brothers, Natalie is Chris's girlfriend, and Amanda is their single friend. Mostly these traits define the characters, who are otherwise easily startled. Paul decides to take the others to see the Chernobyl reactors and nearby town. The four are led by local tour guide Uri and joined by two other tourists. When the military denies the group access, they should take it as a warning sign. As in most horror movies, they don't. Uri utilizes a little-known entryway, and soon the group has found its way into the eerie, deserted town of Prypiat. These scenes are certainly among the best in the movie, providing what's certainly the most haunting imagery. Of course the horror aspects wait just around the corner to negate some of the goodwill earned here. After an odd encounter with some wildlife, the group returns to the van to find various engine parts missing. Eventually someone wanders off, and then someone else, and so on. Though plausible character motivation is not a hallmark of the horror genre, it would be nice if there were, say, some. This is the sort of movie where audiences will want to shout at the screen while characters make the wrong decisions. The handheld camerawork does the action no favors, and a number of scenes are just too dark to see. Some thrills do pay off -- namely a well-advertized jump sequence -- but most are negated by the fact that the characters are too often too stupid to care about. The movie does not fare well in the wake of the excellent genre commentary The Cabin in the Woods. In addition to this, the use of an actual tragedy to masquerade as a horror plot comes off as crass and shameless. In comparison to Paranormal Activity -- a connection incessantly boasted in the ads -- Chernobyl Diaries is perhaps less dull though no more remarkable. Undiscerning horror fans and those looking for a few jumps may well enjoy the movie, but anyone hoping for something more will only be in for a disappointment.… Full Review »
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