Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Moderate
- eerie
- oppressive
- paranoid
- late night horror marathon
- dark tourism double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly found the eerie Chernobyl setting and occasional shocks promising but judged the film derivative, weakly written, and deficient in sustained suspense.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The protagonists deliberately visit the abandoned city of Pripyat as an extreme tourism excursion near Chernobyl.
The vacationing group chooses an unauthorized alternative route into Pripyat and is stranded when their van is sabotaged.
Much of the suspense comes from exploring deserted buildings and streets in a depopulated city.
Radiation levels, the Chernobyl nuclear plant, and rumors of what remains in the exclusion zone frame the group's danger.
Films like Chernobyl Diaries, and why
The Blair Witch Project
shared found footage horror, stranded tourists, claustrophobic survival tension, and an isolated location
Cloverfield
shared found footage format, vacationers trapped in a hostile environment, and escalating monster horror
The Descent
shared abandoned-location horror, endangered young adults, and pursuit by unseen threats
The Ruins
shared tourist group entering a forbidden site, environmental danger, and survival horror atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- Bradley Parker
- Release Date
- 2012-05-24
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 5.3 / 10 (1735)
Cast
- Olivia Taylor Dudley
- Jesse McCartney
- Devin Kelley
- Jonathan Sadowski
- Ingrid Bolsø Berdal
- Nathan Phillips
- Alex Feldman
- Milutin Milošević
- Kristof Konrad
- Pasha D. Lychnikoff
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Chernobyl Diaries about?
- A vacation excursion into the Chernobyl exclusion zone becomes a nightmarish fight for survival when stranded tourists realize the deserted city is inhabited.
- What is Chernobyl Diaries like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Chernobyl Diaries as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Chernobyl Diaries violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Chernobyl Diaries as moderate.
- What did critics think of Chernobyl Diaries?
- Critics broadly found the eerie Chernobyl setting and occasional shocks promising but judged the film derivative, weakly written, and deficient in sustained suspense.
- Which films are like Chernobyl Diaries?
- Films with a similar feel include The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield, The Descent, and The Ruins.
- How long is Chernobyl Diaries?
- Chernobyl Diaries runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch Chernobyl Diaries?
- In United States, Chernobyl Diaries is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
