Chronicle

UK Release: 1st February 2012

Watched on DVD: Sunday 7th April 2013

Rating: 15

Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Runtime: 1hr 24mins

IMDb Plot Synopsis: Andrew is a troubled but creative teen with a keen visual eye and a high-quality HD camera. He is introverted and socially awkward. Along with his friends, Matt and Steve, they make a discovery that leads them all to acquire powerful telekinetic abilities. They're now capable of, well, almost anything. But things take a dark turn.

My Review: I’d only seen a vague trailer or two before taking the plunge and watching Chronicle. I’d heard good things last year and the plot intrigued me so I looked forward to seeing of it lived up to the hype. 

And... I suppose it did. Made on a (relatively) small budget I did not see the epic last act coming at all! It was set up well using hand-held camerawork, a method which now has a bad reputation due to it’s overuse (and often not well). However while there are occasional awkward scenes to explain the camera’s presence it does what filmmakers originally started using it for (such as in Blair Witch) - to make it feel more realistic, and thus more thrilling, immediate, and ultimately more scary. We really get a sense of who these three characters are. Andrew is the main ‘cameraman’ and it is immediately more obvious that is an awkward social outcast. His cousin, Matt, was harder to get a real grip on but was mostly defined on his crush and the fact he was an ‘all-round good guy’. Lastly Steve is originally introduced as the most popular guy in school and running for class president. Which is why it was hard to believe when they all became such a close-knit group after gaining their powers. It made for an interesting dynamic, but felt the least realistic - even more so than the powers themselves! 

They were shot really well with great subtle special effects which were definitely enhanced by the home-movie style of film-making. I especially loved the flying scenes and the gradual effect of them getting stronger and stronger; you knew it wasn’t heading anywhere good!

It’s absolutely worth a watch if you get a chance and I hope to see more from the actors and makers behind it as it was the most original and interesting take on ‘superpowers’, science-fiction-y thrillers and hand-held camera action in a long time! While it could be pretty dark at times it was also really funny, as you really felt you were there hanging out with these guys as they come to grips with these new found powers. It was gripping!

Score: 8/10