CHERNOBYL DIARIES

RYAN: The screening for this film was last minute – 8pm the night before it opened; a strategic move by the studio since not all critics will be in attendance.  They want to avoid bad reviews and now we know why.

KIM: This wasn’t scary in the least.  It was just all in the editing, trying to make you jump, which it effectively did, but it wasn’t scary at all.

RYAN: Yeah it was just manipulative scares, using sound editing and lighting to create suspense.  But the story never got anywhere past basic level to actually create a sense of fear.

KIM: I totally agree.  The story was thin and barely made sense at times.

RYAN: And knowing this movie was produced by the guy behind the Paranormal Activity movies, I was worried this would be as bad as those and it was.

KIM: The film is a little suspenseful but you don’t really know what’s really going on.

RYAN: And there was no payoff!  It doesn’t deliver.  It hints at things but frankly, this was about as scary as the Michael Jackson Thriller video.  That was actually even scarier.

KIM: [laughs’ Certainly the first time we saw it. 

RYAN: Jesse McCartney stars in the film and he’s fine.

KIM: And his on screen brother was played by Jonathan Sadowski.  I’ve liked some of his previous work.

RYAN: I liked him.  He was cute.

KIM: Yeah.  But the script was pretty bad… a lot of cheesy lines and typical “horror movie antics” where they do and go exactly where you know you wouldn’t in reality. 

RYAN: Yeah it was very derivative, obvious and unoriginal and just insulting, actually, to the audience that way.  But there were a couple teenage girls we talked to afterward who found this to be scary.  So maybe at a certain age this is scary… but I need more than editing and sound to frighten me.

KIM: Yeah it was nowhere near nightmare inducing unless you’re a teen girl obviously.

RYAN:

— BOTTOM LINE —

KIM: It’s not worth the money to see this in the theater or even rent.  Maybe redbox it someday but that’s even pushing it.

RYAN: This is the worst film of the year, so far.  It’s a total waste of time.