Chronicle (2012) Review

We’ve all fantasized or tossed around the idea of what it would be life to have super powers. But the thing I think more about is how I would react when discovering them. Would I freak out? Would I feel an ominous sense of acceptance and obligation? Maybe I’d Chronicle my experiences with a camcorder and watch what I’ve done. I will say that this movie is strictly sci-fi action and unfortunately cannot be categorized as horror in anyway.

Opening as a typical high school teen movie, our journey begins with Andrew (Dane DeHann) purchasing a new camera and documenting his daily life. His abusive alcoholic father tormenting him until his cousin Matt (Alex Russell) picks him up for school. We learn quickly that Matt is the “intellectual” type, while Andrew carries his emotional baggage into his social life. Without friends, Andrew hangs out by himself and continues to film. Until the night that Matt drags Andrew to a party held at an abandoned concrete building in the woods. After conveniently recording some dancing T & A, Andrew gets bullied, again, and lands outside next to a tree. Steve (Michael B. Jordan), the shining star running for class president, finds him there and coerces him to a pit in the ground where Matt awaits. The three of them discover that night something that they won’t soon forget.

When they go unconscious, the camera turns on next to see the three of them testing out their new found powers. Like a dream, the boys are seemingly unafraid to explore their new ability, bonding together as they each grow stronger. Despite overcoming a few hiccups, Steve, Andrew, and Matt proceed with daily life with a new found sense of purpose, but never seem to come to reality with what’s happened. When things go dark however, Andrew can’t stop abusing his telekinesis to punish those around him who have tormented him. And when Steve and Matt are beyond the scope of reach, Andrew grows dangerously destructive.

With a found-footage film, it has to feel real. The whole point is to believe on some level that this could’ve really happened and you’re watching the footage. Films before this one have done just that, and are renowned for it. Chronicle unfortunately manipulated their use of telekinesis to the extent that it didn’t feel real anymore. Instead you feel almost patronized because the studio put far too much quality into every shot that there was no way it could’ve come from a hand-held camera. When things got heavy, and a hand-held was unavailable or destroyed, the film would switch to surveillance footage or cell phone cameras, but unfortunately it never felt real.

Performances were well executed but nothing close to what was necessary to achieve the realism of a found-footage film. Scripted; the lines and performances presented extremely scripted and took me completely out of any semblance of actuality. Meanwhile the story was consistent, evolve the characters as their powers increased. But you never got the sense of how heavy suddenly having telekinesis was. Somehow for these teens it was awesome, and only that. Not like recent POV films, Chronicle comprised a descent ending, and no one will be offended by it. But overall, why sit through the whole thing anyway?

Strongly put, the Savage Score is 3 out of 5. I wouldn’t put this at the top of my list of favorite movies, but if you’re going to watch it anyway, I won’t dismiss it. You won’t get a huge jolt out of it but the effects are entertaining. Gore Score barely meets a 3 out of 10 with the majority of that being excessive nosebleeds. Maybe if the creators reminded themselves where the found-footage realm started (Blair Witch, Cloverfield) they wouldn’t have lost my appreciation.