Chronicle (2012)

Whilst attending a party, three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery underground. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.

Director:

Josh Trank

Writers:

Max Landis (screenplay), Max Landis (story),

Stars:

Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dane DeHaan	...	Andrew Detmer
Alex Russell	...	Matt Garetty
Michael B. Jordan	...	Steve Montgomery
Michael Kelly	...	Richard Detmer
Ashley Hinshaw	...	Casey Letter
Bo Petersen	...	Karen Detmer
Anna Wood	...	Monica
Rudi Malcolm	...	Wayne
Luke Tyler	...	Sean
Crystal-Donna Roberts	...	Samantha (as Crystal Donna Roberts)
Adrian Collins	...	Costly
Grant Powell	...	Howard
Armand Aucamp	...	Austin
Nicole Bailey	...	Cala
Lynita Crofford	...	Casey's Mom

Storyline

The shy, lonely and outcast teenager Andrew Detmer is bullied and has no friends at high-school and lives with his abusive and alcoholic father Richard Detmer and his terminally ill mother Karen. Andrew buys a camera to film his everyday life. His cousin Matt Garetty drives him to school and invites Andrew to go to a party at night. telekinetic abilities and Andrew becomes the most powerful. But he easily loses his temper and becomes dangerous while Matt tries to control him. When his mother needs a medicine and Andrew does not have enough money to buy it, his darker side overcomes and he becomes a menace.

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Plot Keywords:

troubled teen | teen angst | subjective camera | friend | high school | 

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Taglines:

Boys will be boys

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

14A

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 February 2012 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Chronique

Filming Locations:

British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$22,004,098 (USA) (3 February 2012)

Gross:

$64,572,496 (USA) (1 June 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Davis Entertainment, Dune Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The director made Dane DeHaan, Michael B. Jordan, and Alex Russell live in a house together for 15 days in order to create a genuine bond between the three.

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Goofs

When the boys are playing with Lego in Matt's room, Matt clicks his iPod to play music, but he obviously does not click the play button even though the music begins to play.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Andrew Detmer: [as Richard tries to enter his room] What do you want?
Richard Detmer: Why is this door locked, Andrew?

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Crazy Credits

After all the credits have ended, even after the traditional copyright disclaimer, is the credit: "Waitress ... Vanessa Lee".

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Connections

References Star Wars (1977)

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Soundtracks

Ave Maria
Written by Charles Gounod (as Charles Francois Gounod')
Courtesy of Associate Production Music

User Reviews

Great New Twist on Superhero Movies

Enjoy trolling? Enjoy watching people get trolled? Here's your movie. Chronicle stumbled into theaters thoroughly undervalued. Although it does have its flaws, it has paved an entirely new route in the worn-out genre of superheroes. Chronicle brings all the major superhero questions into play—Where did our powers come from? How should we use our powers? In the end, however, those questions are irrelevant. This movie is not about three superheroes. It is about three teenage boys who just happen to have super powers.

This movie is quite extraordinary. All three of the main actors are unknowns. When the movie begins, they all promise to me stereotyped high schoolers—the popular one, the outcast, and the stoner. As the movie progresses, those stereotypes become worthless. These actors were up to the challenge. Each main character changes so much that you won't recognize them from beginning to end. Mix this with the unique storyline and this movie has an extremely strong core.

A good deal of this movie is enjoyable simple because it is realistic to life. The bullying is brutal. The type of things that the main characters do with their powers is exactly what I would do. That's the shining point of this movie. It is true to life. It doesn't cover up life or try to smooth it over with simplifications. This movie is beautiful with its honesty. It allows the viewer to laugh hysterically one moment and cringe the next.

The problems are minor but still present. The incredible climax is followed up with a lackluster conclusion. The father's character is rather over-the-top. I can't tell if it was the writing or the acting that made it so. These two facts won't pull you away from enjoying the movie. It's just too bad that such a good movie would end on such a low note.

This movie is worth seeing. Some people will have trouble watching it in theaters because it is a shot from the first person and can be jerky at times. If you are okay with that, I would recommend seeing it in the theatre. I saw this movie with a large audience—which appeared to add to the experience. For the average Joe, this will be an enjoyable movie. For the superhero fan, this could be a cult classic.

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