Patrick Cavanaugh The Wolfman Cometh Sep 22, 2023 2/5

Are arbitrarily blend of cinematic and narrative tropes that fails to make good on any of the inherent storytelling potential within the locale.

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Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies Aug 19, 2022 1.5/5

One good thing about “Chernobyl Diaries” that it doesn’t prolong the agony. At a running time of under 90 minutes, I was quickly able to go about my business of forgetting the forgettable.

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C.H. Newell Father Son Holy Gore May 3, 2019 3.5/5

Nothing innovative, but a decent little effort in the urban exploration corner of horror, using some tragic history as a modern Gothic setup.

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Naila Scargill Exquisite Terror Feb 28, 2019

The set piece needs more attention, but the attacks are done reasonably well, an instil of progressive tension reasonably effective.

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Cleaver Patterson CineVue Jan 11, 2019 3/5

The result, though no classic, is definitely enough to make you rethink going on a suspect European coach trip anytime soon.

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Yasmin Shehab Cairo360 Sep 28, 2017 1.5/5

Basically a continually-shrinking bunch of tourists running around trying to find their way out of a Ukrainian ghost land. Fascinating.

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Scott Weinberg TheHorrorShow Aug 26, 2015

For all its familiar ideas, characters, and scares, Chernobyl Diaries earns points on restraint, mood, and location.

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John Hanlon Big Hollywood Jun 30, 2013 2.5/5

A cool concept is compromised when this film descends into predictable territory.

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Steve Newton Georgia Straight Feb 15, 2013 3/5

After one effective scene involving a radiated Russian bear, the quality of first-time director Bradley Parker's narrative starts melting down like a TEPCO facility.

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Felix Vasquez Jr. Cinema Crazed Jan 9, 2013

There's nothing but many empty scares and zero resolution...

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Mike McGranaghan Aisle Seat Oct 21, 2012 2/4

Its strengths make it worth paying attention to, while its weaknesses prevent it from becoming the first-class chiller it had the potential to be.

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Steve Wright SciFiNow Oct 8, 2012 1/5

Unsatisfactory both as a low-budget schlocker and as a piece of entertainment.

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John J. Puccio Movie Metropolis Oct 6, 2012 3/10

There's nothing interesting, creative, innovative, exciting, suspenseful, or scary about it. We just sit there and wait for it to be over.

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Ben Kendrick Screen Rant Sep 27, 2012 1.5/5

Chernobyl Diaries is a mismatched effort that was working with some intriguing core elements -- undermined by worn-out recreations of familiar horror set-ups.

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Kristal Cooper We Got This Covered Sep 15, 2012 4.5/10

Sitting through this shaky-cam disaster of Chernobyl-like proportions is simply not worth your time, money or equilibrium.

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Brian Gibson Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Alberta) Jul 24, 2012

Dialogue is banal, the camerawork's predictable, and any subtext's missing in all the action. The flick's irradiated with a general insensitivity to human tragedy. The place, though, is deeply eerie on its own.

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Mark Kermode Observer (UK) Jun 24, 2012

There's a great idea hiding in there somewhere - shame they didn't find it.

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Linda Cook Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) Jun 23, 2012 2/4

You've seen this sort of thing before - just not set in such an unusual locale. 'Chernobyl Diaries' delivers on atmosphere - at least, during the first. That's not surprising considering that Oren Peli of 'Paranormal Activity' fame is a producer.

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Tim Robey Daily Telegraph (UK) Jun 22, 2012 3/5

For a film with radioactive bears running around, it's often strangely dull, though the final descent into the concrete maw of the reactor itself is memorably hellish.

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James White SFX Magazine Jun 22, 2012 2/5

A rote run-and-scream wannabe scarefest that fails to deliver more than rudimentary chills.

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