Movie Review: Chronicle

The found-footage style, which I found to be pretty stale before this year, has been given new life this year. First with party film Project X and now with the even better sci-fi flick Chronicle. This is a very interesting and original take on the superhero genre.  It really benefits from it's use of the found-footage style. Much like Project X, the found-footage style makes the film seem real and the feeling of authenticity sets it apart from other similar films. It was extremely entertaining from start to finish with a surprisingly deep and complex storyline. It develops all three leads quite well and shows their personality differences and how each one copes with their new-found powers. These unknown actors all do a good job in their first roles in a major film. I really liked the change in tone in the second half of the movie. It starts off fun and pretty light then it becomes really dark in the second half and that makes it feel even fresher. Before seeing this, I had heard a lot of complaints about the ending, but I thought it was fine. The climax was pretty intense and action-heavy and it wrapped the film nicely. I will say the CGI isn't the best, but that's really the only flaw with the film (and that can easily be excused considering it only had a $15 million dollar budget). Chronicle provides a new and interesting spin on the superhero genre. It's inventive use of found-footage, strong performances and character development, and original take on a familiar genre/story make this a sure-fire winner.

4/5 Stars