"You're looking into their eyes, you feel that last bit of breath leaving their body; a person in that situation is God." - Ted Bundy
Directed by Josh Trank, "Chronicle" follows three high school seniors as they inexplicably develop super powers. One of these students, Andrew (Dane DeHaan), begins to abuse his gifts.
Though it owes a lot to comic-book superheroes, "Chronicle" plays best as a look into the psyche of teenage spree killers. Andrew is an outcast, bullied, feels impotent, has an abusive father, is mocked for his sexual inadequacies and has a pair of symbolically castrated parents. A ball of pent-up aggression, Andrew's newfound powers, like a pair of guns hastily purchased at Wallmart, allow him to violently lash out. The film climaxes with Andrew murdering a number of fellow students and civilians. If disrespect breeds violence, then, like many of the world's youngest school shooters, Andrew's the expected outcome of very specific forces. The film thus presents, not only the flip-side to your typical Marvel/DC hero, but an interesting discussion on power and agency and how victims internalise hate and become perpetrators themselves.
"Chronicle", incidentally, is also a "found footage" film. Though such faux documentaries are now commonplace, Trank manages to keep things fresh. Unlike most in its genre, the film is well shot, cut and composed. Often imaginative, it puts many of its big-budget siblings to shame.
7.9/10 – See "Elephant" (2003), "Targets" (1968) and "Akira".
Directed by Josh Trank, "Chronicle" follows three high school seniors as they inexplicably develop super powers. One of these students, Andrew (Dane DeHaan), begins to abuse his gifts.
Though it owes a lot to comic-book superheroes, "Chronicle" plays best as a look into the psyche of teenage spree killers. Andrew is an outcast, bullied, feels impotent, has an abusive father, is mocked for his sexual inadequacies and has a pair of symbolically castrated parents. A ball of pent-up aggression, Andrew's newfound powers, like a pair of guns hastily purchased at Wallmart, allow him to violently lash out. The film climaxes with Andrew murdering a number of fellow students and civilians. If disrespect breeds violence, then, like many of the world's youngest school shooters, Andrew's the expected outcome of very specific forces. The film thus presents, not only the flip-side to your typical Marvel/DC hero, but an interesting discussion on power and agency and how victims internalise hate and become perpetrators themselves.
"Chronicle", incidentally, is also a "found footage" film. Though such faux documentaries are now commonplace, Trank manages to keep things fresh. Unlike most in its genre, the film is well shot, cut and composed. Often imaginative, it puts many of its big-budget siblings to shame.
7.9/10 – See "Elephant" (2003), "Targets" (1968) and "Akira".