Chernobyl Diaries
Metascore
32 out of 100

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 17 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 17
  3. Negative: 8 out of 17
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  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.

User Reviews

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User Score
4.6 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 114 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 50
  3. Negative: 21 out of 50
  1. MissouriMedic
    4
    In order to fairly review this movie, I really have to look at the first and second half almost as completely different movies. The first half was pretty good. It was fairly well-done, and the tension slowly builds. I've always had a minor fascination with Chernobyl, and the movie did a good job of reproducing the look and feel of the place (well, early in the movie that is). Unfortunately, the second half of the movie is so ridiculously over-the-top, drawn-out, implausible, and repetitious, that I left the movie hating this movie (even though 45 minutes in to it I'd liked it). I don't want to give any ay spoilers, but I think that if they'd made a movie about wild dogs (ala Cujo) or a dangerous gang of hoodlums (something akin to "The Strangers" perhaps) living in Chernobyl, they'd have had a winner... but by instead going the horror route, they ruined a great setup.… 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. Knicksfan7
    2
    The concept of this film first off, was just ridiculous and impossible, but obviously we don't go into every movie looking for realism, so it did have potential to be scary, but boy did this film fall flat. From the acting, to the script, to everything. There was just flaw after flaw after flaw. It had its tense moments where you feel as though somethings going to jump out and scare you...but then nothing happened. It was nothing but a big fakeout. This film is dumb, weak, and extremely predictable. 2/10 don't see this pile of junk!… Full Review »
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