Writer: Naseem Randhawa

Writer Ratings:
Overall: 4.5 Out of 5
Cast: 4.0 Out of 5
Plot: 4.0 Out of 5
Effects: 4.0 Out of 5
Cinematography: 4.0 Out of 5

Watch this if you liked: “Cloverfield”, “Carrie” & “Kick Ass”

If you're headed to the cinema thinking that "Chronicle" is just another low-production 'found-footage' film riding on its recently trending genre as Hollywood's innovative money-making gimmick, then as rare as the genre is, it is surely just as so for a decent one to come along with this Anti-Superhero found-footage film that's actually surprisingly good; blowing minds and in turn reinventing the whole storytelling style in movies.

We've seen, witches, aliens and demons filmed found-footage style, and with the Superhero genre making big bucks on the silver screen, why not now introduce a bunch of high school kids with superhero abilities? "Chronicle", as its name, chronicles the aftermath of three high school guys who after encountering a mysterious 'alien' light underground, discover they're in possession of telekinesis powers that range from moving things with their minds, performing magic tricks at the school's talent show, to levitating off the ground. It's all fun and games at first for the popular high school jock Steve (Michael B. Jordan), easy-going Matt (Alex Russell) and Matt's cousin, socially awkward and sometimes angst-y Andrew (Dane DeHaan), but things soon take an unexpected turn when the power dominates them for the worse.

At the beginning of the film we are introduced to a mournful Andrew, played by 24-year-old DeHaan, strikingly reminiscent of a young Leonardo DiCaprio ala-"Basketball Diaries" and "What's Eating Gilbert Grape". Andrew who hails from a broken home (drunk father and dying mother) suddenly arrives home one day with a video camera to conveniently film his day-to-day life and also in hopes to catch his father abusing him, thus establishing him as our main 'footage' person. There's soon more reason for Andrew along with friends, Matt and Steve who are getting stronger each day, to film themselves as they demonstrate their powers through playing pranks on people, moving cars around and flying in clouds. Their exuberance and reactions fooling around with their abilities are smartly captured, as its exactly how a normal person heighten by powers would act and experiment with in a pseudo-reality setting, and not go on a crime fighting spree like say, Captain America or Spiderman.

Apart from the single camera footage we are accustomed to in "The Blair Witch Project", "Cloverfield" and "Paranormal Activity", the movie also borrows its footage from traffic CCTVs, the public's phone recording, cop cars and more to provide multiple angles and dimensions to the film. The three main actors who are fairly new faces, try to keep things as 'realistic' as possible by not going overboard with their performances and giving it just enough emotion when it comes down to it. The one to watch out for would definitely be Dane DeHaan's character, a relate-able outcast, who's easily the Holden Caulfield of our time added on with some serious Stephen King's psychological "Carrie" undertones.

Like "Kick Ass" which offered some hope of originality to the Superhero genre, here's one that comes along like an underdog at the right time to keep the momentum going, one that is more fitting of Peter Parker's famous line, "With great power comes great responsibility", indeed.

Cinema Online, 05 February 2012