Chronicle (2012)

Chronicle takes the familiar wish-fulfillment of superpowers and makes it feel unnervingly real, like you’re watching a private miracle unfold through a teenager’s shaky camera lens. Josh Trank’s found-footage approach isn’t a gimmick so much as a pressure cooker: the thrills land harder because the emotions do, and the film keeps finding intimate, human ways to stage its spectacle. Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, and Michael B. Jordan give performances that sell the bond, the bravado, and the quiet hurt underneath, so the story plays as a coming-of-age drama that gradually tilts into something darker and more volatile. It’s not for everyone—there’s raw family dysfunction and escalating violence—but if you want a smart, propulsive sci-fi thriller that treats power like a test of character, it’s a gripping watch.

Chronicle is clearly aiming for a grounded, “what if superpowers happened to damaged teenagers” story, using the found-footage style to make it feel intimate and real. When it’s focused on friendship, insecurity, and the thrill of discovery, it’s genuinely gripping and the performances (especially DeHaan) sell the slow emotional slide. But if you’re hoping for deep, fresh insights about power and morality, it can feel like it’s tracing familiar lines, and the finale goes big in a way that may strike you as messy or overblown compared to the tighter setup. Also, the mix of teen cruelty, family abuse, and escalating violence is heavy, so if you want escapist sci-fi rather than a bleak spiral, this probably isn’t your night.