Chronicle

Chronicle is an artsy superhero origins movie about three teenagers who gain telekinetic powers.  At first, it is a fun, light story about boys having mischievous fun.  By its end the story turns into something quite disturbing, and it delivers a punch to the gut that I wasn't expecting.  Was it a good film?  Absolutely.  Anyone interested in the barrage of superhero flicks taking over Hollywood ought to see Chronicle.  It manages to do twice as much as any of the big-budget blockbusters.

Chronicle is basically a "what if" about a kid who has been bullied his whole life.  I'm thinking of it as Magneto's origin story.  I hesitate to bring this up, but I couldn't help thinking about Columbine.  It was frightening to think about as I watched the main character's life spiral downward.  Some viewers may want to avoid the movie because of this.  I had no idea what it was about before renting it, so didn't have any expectations.  For me, Chronicle is the type of movie I'll probably never watch again because it wasn't about entertainment.  It was about the story--which is the sort that sits at the back of your mind, sinking in.  It's a story I'll think about for a long while.

My one gripe with the movie is the way it's filmed.  The whole thing is done as if it were found footage, meaning the camera is always being controlled by one of the characters documentary style.  Towards the end, when the story spreads out from the three boys, some of the footage is taken from security cameras throughout Seattle.  It makes it hard to really develop the characters this way, but it's at least an original way of telling a superhero tale.  I would have preferred if it had been done more like District 9--documentary style to begin with, but transitioning into a traditionally filmed movie.

Chronicle is PG-13, and didn't have much in the way of language or sexual content.  Check it out because of its story, but don't expect to sit down for a popcorn flick.