Chronicle (2012)

I can see that a number of people enjoyed this movie, and on one hand the premise is interesting, but I felt entirely letdown by the second half of the film. Movies don't have to be totally realistic, but when they're well done, we should be able to "suspend our disbelief". Through a combination of sub-par plot development and scenes that felt too over the top, at times it just seemed silly. I also had difficulty with Andrew's character -- rather than finding myself emotionally invested in understanding and caring about his internal struggles, I largely just felt annoyed. I also felt like there should have been more depth to the "sci-fi" aspect: I felt unsatisfied by the lack of further development on how this all came about or if there was any deeper connection between the origin of the powers and any of the plot elements. Sure, we can be left to make our own conjectures, but the film gives little to build from.(Purposefully left this vague to avoid plot spoilers)

It dabbles into various genres during its short runtime. Sci-fi, high school drama, thriller and even the superhero sub-genre. Surprisingly, despite the meaty contents, they all blend well. A small group of students stumble across a peculiar underground rock. They progressively start to realise they have acquired unique abilities and use them to their advantage, despite the consequences. At the centre of all the crazy happenings is Andrew, a troubled boy who lives a difficult life. His is unpopular at school, abused at home by his alcoholic father and is having to care for his ill mother. It details the effects of emotional trauma and how it can effect someone mentally. Andrew's troubled life has lead him to feel pure anger and hatred. We then view the positives and negatives of using telekinetic powers for one's own desire, falsifying a sense of popularity only for it to then come crashing down. It's a personal story, all captured on Andrew's camera, told through his perspective. The endearing aspect to this film is the chemistry between the three lead characters. They explore their powers together and form a close friendship, I found them to be relatable and incredibly lifelike. Dane DeHaan steals the film and portrays his character's development with ease. Also him saying "I'm feeling really spelunked out actually" just feels...satisfying. I don't know, I'm weird like that. Josh Trank's direction was solid where he really positioned the camera in inventive ways, particularly during the flying scenes. The low budget does unfortunately show during those scenes and the effects during the destructive third act detracted from the quality of the film. Also how they found the underground cavern to begin with felt coincidental and far too rushed. However, Chronicle is one of the better "found footage" films that genre enthusiasts will love. And if there is one thing it's taught me, never mess with an apex predator.

Chronicle takes the found footage technique & uses it beautifully in the teenage melodrama/superhero worlds, opening with a heart-wrenching moment between the main character & his dad banging on his door. Through found sudden superpowers, we have some blatant parallels to puberty that work, & the teenage philosophizing is great for the characters. The effects are crisp, & the final battle is full of pathos & excitement. Trank's later meltdown is a shame…would so love to get more from this universe.

It was a supernatural movie. It was also a self-filmed movie by a group of teenagers. I liked the whole idea of the movie. It gave us lessons of humanity and how we should deal with our desires toward things. Often time people get over-desiring of what they want, using any ways. I think it's definitely fine to follow your dreams and to challenge yourself, but not when the method you use is against morals. I don't agree their way of using the power but it was a good lesson. If there are somewhere we can all become powerful, i wouldn't do it. because it is really a risk of relationships and lives. i didn't like the choices they made but the fact that it was a well set up movie.