Chronicle (2012)

I'm generally not a fan of "found footage" films, so I was skeptical heading into Chronicle - the story of three High School students who explore a mysterious hole in a field (always a bad idea in the movies, but luckily for us characters keep venturing in).  After they come in contact with a strange foreign structure they find themselves with telekinetic powers.  Don't ask for an explanation, because the movie doesn't give one.  The focus here is on matters deeper than aliens and monsters.

The three main characters have typical HS caliber movie features: Andrew is a loner with a filming obsession, dying mother and abusive father; Steve is a popular jock; and Matt is the handsome sensitive type (and also Andrew's cousin).

Andrew's film habit is what leads to the majority of the movie employing the found footage technique.  This usually does nothing more than make the viewing experience nauseating, but it works for this material.  It gives a point of view perspective to the guys discovering and refining their new found ability to manipulate objects, and eventually themselves, in order to fly.  These scenes are a lot of fun and the CGI does not detract from the writing and performances.  The direction by Josh Trank is very technically advanced, and that is what makes the scenes so interesting and intense.

The characters respond to their power differently.  Steve and Matt just want to have fun with it, and so does Andrew at first, but things begin to turn when he nonchalantly brushes an annoying driver off the road and into a lake - nearly killing him.  There is a change in him after this.  He has discovered how powerful he can be and is entranced.  The guys panic and decide to set ground rules so their powers don't spiral out of control, but Andrew is cold and distant - he isn't buying in.

Andrew begins to lose control.  As he watches his mother die and endures the abuse of his father, he finds that his powers have given his rage an outlet that never existed before. A humiliating sexual encounter is Andrew's tipping point and the control over his powers completely collapses.

Society functions because its members keep themselves in check.  If we acted on every impulse there would be chaos - even an average person would become a damaging force.  The binding factors are our ability to control ourselves as well as the consequences that we know would come if we did not.  Chronicle is a study of what happens when the penalties are removed and we are free to determine the outcome.  Andrew had terrible demons to be sure, but many have similar or worse lurking in the depths of their mind.  Chronicle asks what would happen if they could safely exorcise them.

4/4 stars