Chernobyl Diaries (2012)

Is it too soon to make a horror film inspired by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, in which a vast area of the world was radioactively contaminated following the catastrophic meltdown of a Ukrainian nuclear power plant? No, according to Oren Peli. The Paranormal Activity writer-director both co-wrote and co-produced this tale of sixvacationing twentysomethings who make the egregious error of signing up for an ''extreme tourism'' outing to the Chernobyl-adjacent and long abandoned town of Pripyat. (Newcomer Bradley Parker directs.) Before you can say ''What, was the ballet all sold out?'' our hero-victims are being menaced, and rapidly thinned out, in an array of ways it does not behoove us to disclose here. If nowhere near as scary as the original Paranormal, the result is superior to many of the low-budget terror flicks that have arrived since (yes, The Devil Inside, we're talking about you) and benefits hugely from Dimitri Diatchenko's performance as moviedom's Worst. Tour. Guide. Ever. B–