Movie Review: Chronicle - With Great Power Comes Great Irresponsibility

Chronicle (2012) is a movie that follows the growing trend of the so-called “Found Footage Film”. In this type of movie the camera work appears to be done by one of the actors holding a handheld camera, giving the movie a more realistic feel. Other big titles in that genre are The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Cloverfield (2008). I’m not a big fan of this genre; however I have to admit that it contributed greatly to the feel of this movie. It wouldn’t have been the same otherwise.

Chronicle tells the story of three young boys, Matt, Steve and Andrew, who discover a strange, crystalline artifact, after which they start to develop telekinetic powers. Unlike most super hero movies, the young boys don’t feel the need to fight for justice and all that is good, instead they use their powers for their own amusement.

Of course every super hero movie, conventional or not, needs a villain. And director Josh Trank created a very real villain, one many of us can easily empathize with. One of the boys has been bullied at school and mistreated by his father, leaving him angry and frustrated. This causes him to become obsessed with power and eventually leads him to losing his mind.

The movie ends just like every super hero movie, with a huge battle between good guy and bad guy. However there is no heroic feeling here. The audience isn’t cheering for the good guy to beat the bad guy and restore justice, the audience is witnessing two boys in great pain, suffering. The battle ends in one brutal moment, but I won’t give any further details regarding that matter.

This movie combines the joys and hardships of teenage life with super hero science fiction, a formula that works surprisingly well. I recommend watching this movie if you are sick of typical Hollywood super hero movies and want something else, just don’t expect to see Iron Man-like special effects.

Leave me a comment with your thoughts on the review, or on the movie itself. I’d love to hear what you guys have to say. If you have any movies you want me to review, send me an e-mail at: nuggettreviews@gmail.com