Chris and Natalie are on the trip through Europe, one of their stops in in Kiev, where lives Chris’ brother Paul and his girlfriend. Chris planned this visit in Ukraine as short stop on the way to Moscow, where he plans to propose to Natalie, but Paul convinces him to take an "extreme tour" into the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone - area that was evacuated after 1986 disaster and since then it was too contaminated by nuclear waste for people to enter. But Paul finds a local guide, Yuri, who organizes trips into the exclusion area, mostly for foreign tourists. Both couples, together with two backpackers, get inside Yuri’s van and soon they reach the border of the zone. Unfortunately the military guards refuse to let them in, but Yuri is prepared - he knows an old road that leads into Pripyat, the abandoned city near Chernobyl. Unnoticed by the guards they enter the zone and soon they can walk through completely empty town. They visit what is left of the local playground with famous Pripyat Ferris wheel, swimming pool, school. They also enter the abandoned residential buildings, where items left by the former inhabitants still can be found. Suddenly they are confronted by a bear, which runs through the corridor, so Yuri orders them to leave, especially since the night is close. When they reach the van it turns out that the electric cables have been damaged beyond repair. Since Yuri’s walkie-talkie is unable to reach the military guards they are stranded inside the exclusion zone with no hope for help and with question who or what destroyed the cables still unanswered.
Story set inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Area seems like perfect opportunity to make an unforgettable horror film and the beginning is interesting, but with time the it is obvious that the creators had very little idea how to make use of the great setting. Yes, there are elements of mystery, horror, adventure, but they all seem to be shallow and superficial, which is a shame. Still it is original and decent production, but had potential for so much more than that.
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Chernobyl Diaries |
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as Zoe | |
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as Natalie | |
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as Amanda | |
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as Chris | |
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as Michael | |
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as Paul | |
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as Yuri |
