Chronicle is a rare movie — if not a unique one — in that it takes the improbable, at times ridiculous, premise of superheroes and spins every plot construct we’ve come to associate with this particular genre on its head. I struggle classifying this film as a “superhero” movie, if anything it’s more of an “anti-superhero” movie, as it cleverly sets out to tell a story of what would actually happen if teenagers gained super-human powers. Hint: it doesn’t involve crime-fighting.
Set in modern-day Seattle, the film chronicles (yeah, I said it) Andrew Detmer (Dane Dehaan), a 17 year old high school kid who struggles from bullying, at home and in school. He’s got a abusive father (Michael Kelly) and a dying mother (Bo Petersen), which add on to his social difficulties. Because of these problems, Andrew decides to start filming his day-to-day life, thus setting up the film’s premise of being “found footage” style film — only using cameras various characters and settings have — which can easily be off-putting, but mainly works here, thanks in large part to clever directing by the relative newcomer Josh Trank.
Not long after the film begins Andrew is dragged along to a party in the outskirts of Seattle by his cousin Matt Garrity (Alex Russel), who also goes to school with him. At the party they bump into Steve Montgomery (Michael B. Jordon), the popular jock in school, who stumbled upon a mysterious hole in the ground in the woods, and asks Andrew and Matt (and their camera) to go explore it with him. The trio unwisely enters the hole and discover something other-worldly inside, a mysterious glowing substance deep underground, which behaves rather oddly, and as they enter the cavern-like home of the substance — it explodes.
The film jumps forward in time a few weeks, as the trio discover they have unnatural abilities, which they describe as telekinesis. It is here where the fun begins, none of them are all-too-powerful, and they seem to get nose-bleeds whenever they use their powers too much. Instead of the hundreds of other “superhero” stories out there, these teenagers use their powers to goof off. From terrorizing little girls in grocery stores, to using them at a school talent show in the hopes of being more popular — and getting laid. Trank and screenwriter Max Landis are clever enough to try to make this fantastical premise have all the realism it can.
As their powers get stronger — one cleverly suggests their powers behave like a muscle that they have to slowly build up strength for — so do the stakes. Soon they are flying high in the clouds, playing football thousands of feet in the air. Still, Trank and Landis have an eye for the details that other similar stories seem to throw by the wayside, even something as small as realizing it will be freezing at that altitude, so they put the characters into winter jackets. This may seem like something a bit silly to point out, but these types of details add up and make a film more believable.
From the onset it is clear that Andrew has the most power and control of the three, and it is also clear he isn’t as shy about displaying this new-found power. Soon all the fun disappears as quickly as it arrives, as a few accidents turn their lives upside-down. It’s pretty clear where the story goes from here, especially considering Andrew’s troubled background, but it is still just as painful to watch their lives spiral out of control. Screenwriter Max Landis weaves pretty powerful morality constructs into the proceedings, which coupled with some terrific visuals and brisk direction makes Chronicle work on more levels than one might think.
The character arcs given to the three leads are equally satisfying, and something not to be taken for granted, particularly with the majority of modern superhero films seemingly abandoning this most basic of plot structures. Dane Dehaan gives a convincing performance as Andrew, as we can understand — and grow frightened of — his fall over the edge of reason. Michael B. Jordan meanwhile infuses the film with plenty of charisma, particularly in the first half of the film.
There are a few questionable turns in the script, and the “found footage” angle at times wears out its welcome, but Chronicle is a film brimming with originality within not one, but two genres that have all-but worn out their welcome. Thanks to clever direction, surprisingly solid effects and very snappy, slimmed-down storytelling, Chronicle is a very solid and wildly entertaining morality tale of how dangerous power truly is.
Grade: B+
Rated: PG-13 (for intense action and violence, thematic material, some language, sexual content and teen drinking.)
Chronicle opens nationwide February 3rd.
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