Andrew (Dane DeHann, giving a wonderfully nuanced and complex performance) clings to his cousin, and only "real" friend, Matt (Alex Russell) despite obvious signs that his BOMC cousin has become embarrassed to be seen with him. Despite that embarrassment, Matt, who is fond of quoting philosophers, tries to get Andrew, who has an emotionally unstable and abusive home life, to come out of his shell.
Matt convinces, or possibly coerces, Andrew to attend a rave. While there Matt and another popular classmate named Steve (Michael B. Jordan, who oozes star making amounts of charisma and charm) find a strange hole in the ground, from a which an even stranger sound is emanating. Being stupid and reckless teenagers, the trio investigate and discover a glowing stone.
Something unsettling and unexplained happens to the three after they begin touching the stone. Soon after that they all discover they have gained a telekinetic ability. An ability that grows stronger the more they use it.
An ability that, as it grows stronger, both seduces and corrupts.
Chronicle is a terrific, and terrifically entertaining, action-fantasy that misses being something truly interesting or exceptional by a frustratingly visible margin. That margin is the film's semi-strict adherence to the narrative shortcomings of the Found Footage sub-genre. For there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for this film to be structured as a Found Footage narrative. Something the filmmakers themselves seem aware of, as the film routinely fades out of its Found Footage gimmick in much the same way that George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead did. The difference between the two is that Romero created a somewhat organic reason for why his film would have a Found Footage narrative style. Chronicle never gives a reason for why it is using the Found Footage narrative style.
Devin Faraci's favorable review of the film offers an opinion that I agree with wholeheartedly: Chronicle's semi-documentary style would have been far more successful if it had faded into and out of a traditional narrative style, in the way that District 9 (a film that I did not like, at all) had. That would have created a much smoother and engaging viewing experience.
Despite director Josh Trank's and screenwriter Max Landis's needless and frustrating adherence to the shortcomings of the Found Footage format, they still manage to create an emotionally satisfying and, at times, exhilarating story. A story that, despite all the telekinetic blood and thunder in the final twenty or so minutes, never ceases to be about realistically grounded people.
On the surface Andrew, Matt, and Steve appear to be nothing more than standard teenager character archetypes. Andrew is the bullied and abused loner that is pulling away from everyone, even as he tries desperately to reach out to everyone. Matt has become intoxicated with his new found popularity at school. Steve is the outgoing and charismatic guy who always manages to be a friend to everybody. But, as the story unfolds, the trio quickly go from teenage archetypes to actual human beings.
There isn't a person that has suffered through the torments of High School that will not be able to relate to Andrew's emotional turmoil. If things do not go wrong for him, he will probably grow into an artist. Matt likes to read, study, quote, and discuss the writing of philosophers. Something that reveals a noble streak that could, in time, make him become a doctor. Steve shows that there is genuine and caring heart beating beneath all of his charismatic flash. Although he jokes about being a natural for politics, it is very easy to picture him becoming a community organizer and, at a later date, running for Presidency and winning.
The glowing stone changes all that, of course. The film's wonderful trailer (which, I have to say, now that I have seen the film, does an excellent job of both charting and selling the film's emotional story arc) pretty much reveals that Andrew becomes something akin to a Super Villain. Chronicle was probably pitched as: "What would happen if Stephen King's Carrie
Director Josh Trank and screenwriter Max Landis managed to answer that question in a way that is both emotionally satisfying and very entertaining. An artistic feat that, despite the film's narrative shortcomings, makes Chronicle something really special.
Three stars out of four.
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