Chronicle (2012) Review

Chronicle offers a unique take on the superhero genre brought to life by the director-screenwriter combination of Josh Trank and Max Landis, both making their feature film debuts.  The film centres around three high school students and their reactions to their newly acquired superpowers. Despite seemingly treading well versed territory, Chronicle manages to keep things fresh and exciting by avoiding the common clichés associated with the genre and tries to venture somewhere brand spanking new.

So, what would happen if three regular teenagers get superpowers? Watch Chronicle for a refreshingly honest answer. There is no dead parent to avenge or damsel in distress to rescue; just three kids happy to have a distraction from their mundane, everyday lives. The three rarely flirt with the concept of using their powers for anything more than just having fun, which would probably be the case today if a bunch of teenagers ever got superpowers.

That's where I've seen him before!

At the heart of Chronicle, is the friendship between its three leads. Amongst its three stars - the troubled loner, the awkward romantic and the popular jock, are character traits most people should be able relate to. The film does a great job of illustrating how these three different personalities deal with their new found blessing/curse with varying degrees of success.

The true faces of Chronicle's leads

Despite a highly inventive first hour, Chronicle eventually turns into something I thought it trying to avoid. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, my hope for a venture into the complete unknown was sadly put to rest. The freshness and intelligence of the first hour is somewhat undone by the predictable, action heavy, Akira influenced final act.

This all seems awfully familiar....

The disappointing final act aside, Chronicle has a lot going for it. The young cast are all pitch perfect and are aided by Landis’ superbly written dialogue. The found footage angle doesn’t seem stale and forced either, making it a commendable debut for a director and screenwriter we are sure to see a lot more of. It is always refreshing to see a film come out of nowhere and surprise us with its bravery and originality and, for that, Chronicle should be commended. A better final act might have thrust Chronicle into the realms of greatness. But what we have to settle for isn’t all that bad either – a thoroughly entertaining, clever, realistic take on a tired old genre. 

Score: 7.5/10