10 More Amazing Trailers That Tricked You Into Seeing Terrible Horror Movies
9. Chernobyl Diaries
![Spiral from the book of Saw trailer](https://d2thvodm3xyo6j.cloudfront.net/media/2012/06/diary002-600x338.jpg)
Chernobyl Diaries opens with a group of friends preparing for an extreme tour of Pripyat, which was abandoned after it was irradiated by the neighbouring power plant. After the tour ends, the guide discovers his van's wires have been chewed through, giving his party no means to leave. As it begins to get dark, the tourists soon realise they're not alone.
The trailer is the best kind, since it explores the premise in depth while giving next to nothing away. So little is revealed, it's unclear who exactly is hunting the tourists. Are they mutated humans, monsters, or something else entirely?
Although Chernobyl Diaries is effective at building suspense, it quickly descends into a by-the-numbers horror flick. Even if the film wasn't a treasure trove of cliches, it would be let down by pretty much everything else. The special effects are laughably unfinished. The wooden performances are distracting. The script is awful, to the point where it's challenging to remember a single line.
Due to the unique setting and tragic history, Chernobyl Diaries should've been so much more than a tropey B-movie.