Chronicle

Movie Name: Chronicle

Year of Release: 2012

Director: Josh Trank

Stars: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly, Ashley Hinshaw, Bo Petersen, Anna Wood, Rudi Malcolm

Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:

Josh Trank's feature directorial debut, follows the lives of three high schoolers who upon finding some unknown device in the woods, become possessed of super powers. What appears to be a blessing at first for all three of them, slowly erodes their lives, until Andrew, the most introverted of the three, becomes increasingly more violent and a series of violent events occur.
Josh Trank uses the "homemade" video style, much like Matt Reeve's "Cloverfield", to create a sense of discovery and closeness to the lives of the young men of the film. His seemingly different teenagers, are confronted with abilities that allow them to live the lives they always wanted. Little by little they become more confident, until their power corrupts one of them. The film focuses on the dynamics of the group, showcasing the difficult life of Andrew, the social awkward one, for whom the power allows for an opportunity to defend himself. The downward spiral of Andrew, the corruption of his character and the family dysfunction that he has experienced, sets him on a path of destruction, that the film illustrates very realistically. The film, though scarce in terms of budget, manages to make very good use of the visual effects, creating an engaging and dynamic story (though populated with the traditional cliches ever seen in all high school films). A very good first effort!