Chronicle - (February 3rd, 2012): PG-13
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Opening Weekend Box Office: N/A
Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $8,650,000
Gross Revenue: $8,650,000
Production Budget: $12 million
Director: Josh Trank
Between classics like The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity or more recent entries like The Devil Inside or the upcoming Silent House, the found-footage format seemed to find a permanent home within the horror genre, so it was definitely a gamble for filmmakers to venture outside of a comfort zone and try their hand at sci-fi action. Almost everyone has been asked or has considered the following question: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?...for me the answer would invariably be super speed, but that is another discussion entirely; either way, Chronicle would clearly be playing to that curiosity. The clever trailer demanded your attention by first easing you into footage of seemingly normal high school students, but then dramatically shifting focus as one guy stabs his friend in the hand with the fork and the metal utensil crumples! Offering virtually no concrete information on the film’s plot and failing to give potential audiences any recognizable faces, Chronicle remained shrouded in mystery and 20th Century Fox instead relied on comic book geek curiosity to spread like wildfire over the internet; though I did appreciate the “Flying People” promotion where human-shaped RC planes were launched over New York City. Now, on principle I am skeptical of any film released in February, and I questioned the wisdom of releasing a film during what is essentially a two-day movie-going weekend, but as a member of the aforementioned geek demographic I was nevertheless thrilled to see Chronicle.
Chronicle opens by introducing audiences to high school outcast Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan), who spontaneously decides to start filming the events of his life, much to the skepticism of his cousin and only companion, Matt Garetty (Alex Russell). One night, after an unsuccessful attempt to socialize at a party, a depressed Andrew is approached by the highly popular Steve Montgomery (Michael B. Jordan), a friend of Matt’s who claims that they have found something that should be caught on camera. Reluctantly, the three teenagers wander into an underground cavern and come across a mysterious glowing object that causes their noses to bleed and interferes with Andrew’s camera before everything cuts to black. Weeks later, Andrew, Matt and Steve have become inseparable friends after discovering that they have developed telekinesis, the ability to influence objects with their minds; with practice and concentration, the newfound talent also translates into other capabilities such as flight and invulnerability. The three initially revel in their powers, playing practical jokes and manipulating their way to higher popularity, but eventually the physical and emotional abuse that Andrew suffers both at school and at home takes its toll. As their troubled friend begins to embrace the darker side of his personality alongside growing powers, Steve and Matt must consider the implications of their previous actions and the responsibility that they all now face.
No one can deny that telekinesis, flight, and invulnerability would be unfathomably cool abilities to possess, and the varied applications of these powers are the best and most enjoyable part of Chronicle. You are kidding yourself if you think that you wouldn’t mess with people on at least some level if you could move objects with your mind, or be inclined to jet off to Hawaii if you could fly; and that truth paves the way for considerable humor and novelty within the film. Watching three teenage friends goof around with each other as they discover their powers is just downright cool, such as when they enter a talent show and shock everyone with their “magic” or scare the cheerleaders and peek at their underwear by activating leaf-blowers from a distance; that practical usage adds a welcome element of reality to the sci-fi focus of the story. Speaking of reality, the found-footage format works surprisingly well within the film, whether you are watching the action through Andrew’s camera of security film footage; thereby making the special effects used all the more impressive and a welcome reprieve from some of the over-inflated and obviously fake effects that plague bigger budget blockbusters…remember the god-awful computer animation in Green Lantern? I have even more accolades to comment on, but their impact is much more significant if I first point out the only real criticism that has surfaced regarding the movie.
While a normal complaint concerning a superhero script might be hokey or unbelievable plot elements, the problem that afflicts Chronicle is that there is simply not enough explanation behind the events that unfold, but what is lacking in story is more than rectified in terms of character development. Exactly what unfolds in the underground cave, or how the teenagers develop powers, or the reasoning behind the illogical ending is never fully explained, but not everyone necessarily requires a remedy to that type of mystery. Instead, you should focus on how much effort was put forward to establish distinct personalities for Andrew, Matt and Steven; to infuse their friendship with heart; and to set the stage for Andrew’s descent into darkness. In a majority of superhero stories, someone develops powers and almost instantaneously decides to use them for good or evil, but in Chronicle, the teens understandably have fun and maintain their personalities after transformation. In Andrew’s case, the very-real abuse he suffers under an alcoholic father and cruel classmates, alongside the stress he faces with a dying mother, makes it so that it is not all that surprising and a little understandable when he finally snaps and starts ripping teeth from a bully’s mouth or kicking/scaring the crap out of dad. So, if you are able to look past a few gaps in story and a few unanswered questions, the truth is that you will be rewarded with a surprisingly strong and thoroughly unique film that begs to be seen more than once.
Because of the expediency under which this review was written, final numbers for Chronicle’s first weekend are not yet available, but nearly every forecast has the found-footage metahumans dominating the weekend. On Friday alone, ticket sales brought in a surprising $8.6 million, more than half of the production budget and a strong predictor for Saturday’s numbers. From a distribution strategy standpoint, Super Bowl weekend is essentially a two-day revenue grab, but with The Woman in Black and Big Miracle each appealing to a very specific demographic, Chronicle should still make a commanding debut. At the very least, 20th Century Fox has opened up an entirely new genre for found-footage filmmaking and set the bar incredibly high, so audiences are not going to be sentenced to a horror majority for much longer. I don’t care if you prefer Batman to Spider-man, or would rather be invisible than have super strength, high-profilers like X-men: First Class and The Avengers are no longer the only way to effectively showcase superpowers…go see Chronicle…now!
Overall Recommendation: Very High
