Chronicle

Year of release : 2012

Run time : 1h30m

Genre : Found Footage / Sci Fi / Thriller

Cast : Michael B. Jordan

Andrew is a teenager who is bullied at school, and who's father is the biggest bully, taking his frustrations out on him. His mother has cancer, and his family struggles with medical debt, as his father doesn't have a job either, being fired from the fire department years before.

His only friend is his cousin, Matt.

The movie opens with Andrew who decides to document his life, and we see his peers picking on him for no reason, as well as his father who punches him for not ,literally, opening the door for him, although it wasn't locked!

 

Matt doesn't seem to like being in front of the camera but goes along with Andrew. One day Matt invites him to a rave, and although he doesn't want to go, he does. Due to him filming, a guy beats him up for filming him and his girlfriend.

Matt and the popular kid in school, Steve, ask him to come film something they found in the woods. They found a weird looking hole, and the two jump inside, leaving Andrew behind. Although afraid, he does follow them, and sees them touching some weird crystals.

After, they develop super powers.

Andrew seems to be the best of them, being able to control his powers best. They develop the ability to move things with their mind, and even fly. Being teenagers, they mess with people in stores or parking lots. Until Andrew telekinetically pushes a car into a lake, as the driver kept on honking at them.

They rescue the man and take him to the hospital, but Andrew doesn't seem to understand the gravity of the situation.

Steve convinces Andrew to use his telekinetic abilities at the school talent show, and Andrew is a hit. For a while, he sees what's like to have friends, and be appreciated. That doesn't last, as he listens to his father's poisoned words, and his first encounter with the opposite sex is a failure, as he throws up.

That pushes him back into the loser camp. And retaliates against his friends.

I usually don't like found footage movies, but I liked this one. The popular kid is nice, he is a good friend to Andrew. Andrew is a sad character, who is pretty much everyone's punching bag, his peers at school, the youngsters on his street, his own father abusing him the most. He has a good relationship with his mother, who has terminal cancer. Although he slowly becomes the villain, he is not unlikeable, as you understand his pain, and know what he's going through.

Matt and Steve seem to be more like Superman when it comes to the mind set, as they don't have the rage and metal problems Andrew does, from coming from such an environment, which used him as a punching bag. They can't quite control their abilities, and aren't as strong. They don't care as much, though, as they didn't face peer pressure, and critique from their parents.

The visual effects were good.

The soundtrack, being found footage, doesn't quite exist, except for when the boys attend the rave or play a song.

The acting was good.

The movie received positive reviews, and grossed 126.6 million dollars at the box office against a budget of 15 million dollars.

Rating : Worth a watch !