Ally Johnson   Journal Staff
What would happen if a person settled in reality were to stumble upon the extraordinary; if a human were to obtain super human advantages?

Chronicle, the directorial debut of Josh Trank, documents three teenagers after they’ve encountered a mysterious object that causes them to develop powers. However, rather than fall into comic book and arch enemy territory, it instead dives into the realm of believability and shows the three boys facing the daunting prospect of abilities that put them above other beings around them. The troubled Andrew (Dane DeHann) questions if there’s a reason for it; if this is just another case of survival of the fittest and he’s the evolved creature, capable of truly living.

Andrew is the shy one and Matt (Alex Russell) is the nice guy who only wants to help his cousin Andrew. Steve (Michael B. Jordan) is the cool guy, who never would have befriended Andrew had it not been for the mysterious hole that led them to their new powers; their new lives. The movie succeeded in its casting, with actors who have worked in film before but aren’t yet recognizable faces. If they had been it would have proven difficult to suspend our disbelief because this film is one of the most realistic movies released this year.

The usage of the handheld camera technique is the movie’s main flaw. The movie’s script was strong and unique enough that it didn’t need to rely on a gimmick. Instead, the use of this particular camera style got distracting for most of the movie until the very end, when use of it was turned into a way to aptly convey chaos without the luxury of a large budget.

The movie’s third act is one of the most gripping I’ve seen recently. It doesn’t allow you to take a breather and allow what has just happened to settle. Instead, it throws you into each scene after the other causing a tense viewing, not yet allowed to fully comprehend.

This film is being marketed as a “buddy movie,” with the majority of the main laugh out loud moments being put into the trailer to draw in a certain audience. These marketing ploys are selling the wrong idea. This film is much more than a buddy movie. Yes, it touches upon the ties that lie within friendship, which makes the dark twist even more threatening. It causes the stakes to rise because now the audience is invested. This film is about human nature, the lust for power and control, and how that want can cause consequences of a substantial nature. There is no set label for this movie. The movie is clever in the way that it examines the idea of a motive. If a person is driven to the point where Andrew was and is consumed with anger, what would their reaction be? The movie doesn’t vilify Andrew, instead leaving it to the audience to determine what we feel. Even if, like me, you don’t know what that is.