Today’s quick review: Chronicle. Andrew (Dane DeHaan) is a social outcast with an ailing mother and an abusive father. His life begins to turn around when, while at a high school party with his cousin Matt (Alex Russell) and Matt’s friend Steve (Michael B. Jordan), the trio discover an alien meteor that grants them telekinesis. As they practice using their power, they are able to pull off greater and greater feats. Their shared secret brings them closer together, and for the first time in his life, Andrew has friends. But his social issues aren’t that easy to shake, and Andrew must decide whether his newfound friendships are real or simply the result of his powers.
Chronicle is a low-budget found-footage sci-fi drama. Apart from some creative applications of telekinesis, its greatest strength is its characters. Chronicle nails the difficult task of writing realistic dialogue. Andrew, Matt, and Steve joke around in just the way your friends might, and their banter is funny without feeling scripted. Chronicle also captures the joy of exploring a new superpower and the frustration that comes when that exploration goes wrong. The darker seeds planted early in the movie do eventually come to fruition, shifting the tone from cautious optimism to looming tragedy. But to its credit, Chronicle is clear about this transition and avoids more sucker punches than it throws.
Watch Chronicle if you are interested in seeing the consequences of granting superpowers to a trio of realistic teens. The three main characters are surprisingly interesting, and while Chronicle is a dark movie, it easily could have been much darker, much sooner. But if you’re looking for a sci-fi movie that doesn’t leave a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, look elsewhere. While interesting, Chronicle is ultimately a story about a troubled high school student; the superpowers are almost incidental.
7.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for better characters and less horror than expected, but in the service of a dark story about a social outcast.