Chernobyl Diaries follows a group of six young vacationers who, looking to go off the beaten path, hire an “extreme” tour guide. Ignoring warnings, he takes them into the city of Pripyat, the former home to the workers of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, but a deserted town since the disaster more than 25 years ago. After a brief exploration of the abandoned city, however, the group soon finds themselves stranded, only to discover that they are not alone…
Starring: Jesse McCartney, Jonathan Sadowski, Olivia Dudley
Directed by: Bradley Parker
Runtime: 86 minutes
Studio: Warner Home Video
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDBReview: Chernobyl Diaries
Drawing on the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986, Chernobyl Diaries begins with a group of travelers – Chris (Jesse McCartney), Natalie (Olivia Taylor Dudley) and Amanda (Devin Kelley) – who are making their way through Europe and heading for Moscow. They stop in Kiev and hook up with Chris’ brother Paul (Jonathan Sadowski) who suggests they go on an extreme detour to the abandoned town of Pripyat which had a forced mass exodus due to the nuclear explosion at Chernobyl. Wouldn’t a detour to go skiing be a better idea? After joining with the tour guide Uri (Dmitri Diatchenko) and two more travelers – Zoe (Ingrid Bolso Berdal) and Michael (Nathan Phillips) – the group all head for Pripyat for a brief tour but soon find they are not alone.
Gaining access to Pripyat is no easy task, I’m pleased to say. A military blockade prevents Uri from going through to the town whereas normally he has had no problems taking tourists there. Our resourceful leader has an alternative route though and after after a few hours touring Pripyat it’s time to head back. Inevitably, there is a problem with the van and the group end up stranded in the town with those radiation levels still pretty high. That’s a minor issue though given what is waiting for the group outside. When Chris and Uri go out to explore a disturbance in the middle of the night, they are attacked by unseen assailants with only Chris making it back to the van though suffering with a serious wound to his leg. Attempts to contact the outside world prove futile and the tourists are faced with a struggle for survival and knowing it is not safe to linger long in Pripyat with the high radiation levels.
Chernobyl Diaries begins well but suffers worst than the tourists who walk into this nuclear nightmare. A better thought out narrative, improved acting and a completely different ending would have given this film many plaudits, I’m sure, but sadly it finishes up as a distinctly average and unsurprising experience which is unfortunate.
Verdict: 2/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
About the Author:
I was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England and have always been a bookworm and enjoyed creative writing at school. In 1999 I created the Elencheran Chronicles and have been writing ever since. My first novel, Fezariu's Epiphany, was published in May 2011. When not writing I'm a lover of films, games, books and blogging. I now live in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with my wife, Donna, and our six cats - Kain, Razz, Buggles, Charlie, Bilbo and Frodo.
David M. Brown – who has written 745 posts on Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave.