Synopsis:
Whilst travelling across Europe 6 tourists enlist on an extreme tour to the town of Pripyat, the former home of the workers of the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant. However, after their means of transportation breaks down they find that this town isn't so derelict after all.
So the makers of the film who stopped me sleeping at night
have returned with an equally skin trembling take on the ghost town sub-genre
(if there is such a thing). Its fear factor was probably amped by the fact I
was watching this on Halloween and all my housemates had gone out….. and yet I
could still hear movement upstairs! Despite that little bonus I still reckon if
you fancy an unnerving chill running down your spine look no further than Chernobyl Diaries.
The city of Pripyat’s lifeless concrete buildings create a
haunting playground for the monstrous baddies of Chernobyl Diaries to chase around our protagonists. The feeling of hopelessness is laid on thick
from the outset and even when no real danger is present you can’t help but feel
unnerved simply by the setting. Obviously the back story of the Chenobyl
disaster adds that extra sense of horror as of course there are few disasters
that compare to the absolute catastrophe that took place over 25 years ago. I
suppose you could applaud Oren Peli and the rest in choosing such terrifying
subject matter to begin with anyway.
Even then what transpires onscreen is enough to rattle any
bones regardless of historical context. It’s a slow build but as mentioned the
tension is there from the outset. Coupled with an additional challenge to
overcome concerning the desperate wildlife and increasing dangerous radiation
levels; you have horror coming at you at all angles for a good hour and half.
Overview:
Maybe not a stand out piece for the genre it’s still a
strong horror movie with plenty of fun jumps and scares layered nicely with
multiple antagonistic elements. A grungey (kind of low budget) look actually
helps reflect the decayed surroundings and further engulfs the young men and
women who star in Chernobyl Diaries
(meaningless title by the way).
★★★
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