Chronicle Review

Science Fiction has long been obsessed with normal people becoming overnight superheroes after gaining superpowers through a freak accident. Radioactive spiders, fallen space ships and genetic experiments gone wrong have been the catalyst for many a graphic novel turned blockbuster. So what can Josh Trank’s new film Chronicle bring to this big and well used table?

Well for a start a beguiling film that features hand-held cameras, no scientific spiel and a serendipitous absensce of a soundtrack. 

Chronicle is shot on hand-held cameras, which gives the film a gritty naturalism usually absent in Sci-Fi thrillers. Think Cloverfield bumping into X-Men in a cinema playing a US Teen comedy. The main protagonist Andrew films much of the action on his new camera, capturing his mother’s terminal illness, father’s abuse and high school drama. However the footage gets interesting when he stumbles across a mysterious object in the ground while at a party with his older and cooler cousin Matt and high school jock Steve. The find has a profound effect on the three characters when they discover they have developed incredible powers including flight, telekinesis and supernatural speed. 

The POV style plus superb acting from Dane Dehaan and co make this discovery believable and watchable for the audience. You get a sense of this being a natural response from teenagers suddenly finding out they have new superpowers. The plot darkens as they learn to control and strengthen their powers. Andrew’s dysfunctional home life begins to affect the way he uses and manipulates his new found kudos. 

This film is clever and unpredictable right up until the last twenty minutes when unfortunately it loses some of it’s maturity. The intelligent progression of character and plot suddenly end in a drawn out hollywood style smash em up up fight and things get a bit boring. 

Obstensibly if you’re a Sci-Fi fan this film will probably impress you, however if you’re yet to be convinced, you might want to wait for the next Trank film.