Chronicle tells the story of three guys who find a hole in the ground that allows them to use telekinesis. Soon after, they find themselves getting stronger, with Andrew being the strongest (and the one who's most interested in filming everything). Eventually the power begins to corrupt them, and ultimately the demons Andrew has in his personal life eventually lead to his downfall.
This movie is, quite simply, one of the best examples of the found-footage genre out there. I really enjoyed Cloverfield. I've heard some criticism that there's not enough of the monster, it's too slow, etc., but I think these complaints are mainly borne out of the type of horror we've become accustomed to over the past ten or so years when gore has become the measure of choice for many. I personally don't like the goriness. I really like older horror movies like Don't Look Now and Suspiria, the kind of slower, suspenseful horror (Don't Look Now) and artistic gore (Suspiria). The found-footage genre necessarily has to be slightly slower - you have to not only make the main character likable and believable, you have to give him or her a reason to have the camera in the first place. It works quite well for horror movies, which I believe is why Chronicle stands out from the rest of the pack. It's basically a superhero movie, with the origin story, the discovery of the powers, the strengthening and the eventual downfall of the main character with the most power. The only horror in the movie comes from the horror of realizing that what's happening in front of us could happen to any of us. It makes the viewer uncomfortable to think of what, with near-unlimited power, we would do to that asshole riding our tail.
On the technical side, the movie creates an interesting dialogue with the viewer. We watch as Andrew learns to manipulate his formerly handheld camera into doing sweeps and zooms like a professional movie-maker. As such, the movie seems to grow with the characters and takes the viewer along for the ride, flying around up in the skies, through security cameras in a hospital after Andrew is arrested, following Andrew through a crowd as he takes revenge on a bully.
The only problem I really have with the movie is that the end, Andrew's downward spiral, moves a little too quickly. The viewer may pick up on how volatile Andrew really is, with an abusive father, a terminally sick mother, and bullies at and on the way home from school, but his bottoming out in the last act felt like it resolved too quickly after all the buildup. The characters themselves (other than Andrew, the popular candidate for student government and Andrew's cousin, Matt, a pothead with girl troubles of his own) are a little static. But I think that serves the movie's ultimate purpose, which is to answer the question "What if a person with a hard life was granted power over everyone else?" Andrew calls himself the "apex predator," meaning none of the other "smaller animals" can hurt him. How could anyone not overreact if they found themselves in that position after being downtrodden for most of his life?
The film pretty accurately answers the question. Ultimate power usually does corrupt, even to those who need a little more power in their lives. Still, an excellent example of handheld low-budget storytelling.
Score: 4/5
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