'Chronicle': A Story of Bromance Born Through Craziness

 

The new sci-fi film, "Chronicle" releases today, and it's honestly one of the best science fiction movies to hit theaters in a long while.

It tells the story of three teenaged boys who stumble upon a strange hole in the woods after a wild house party. In real life, anyone with half a brain would have run the other way at the sight of an endless tunnel in the ground. Instead, they investigate and find a mysterious alien thing that gives them gruesome nosebleeds, and of course, telekinetic powers.

Upon first glance, "Chronicle" seems like the typical high-school-sucks trope. Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan), a bullied teen with a troubled home life takes to filming everything – emphasis on the word everything – in order to place a wall between himself and the rest of the world. That's understandable, his father is a drunken tyrant who has mistaken Andrew for his personal punching bag, and his mother is on her deathbed.

His cousin, Matt Garetty (Alex Russell), an intellectual snob with a love of philosophy, worries that the daily abuse Andrew suffers will worsen once the school bullies notice his new hobby.

And he's right. The other kids are unnerved by Andrew's ever-present camera. The cheerleaders worry that he's taping them because he's a pervert, and the bullies and thugs that terrorize him aren't excited about their misdeeds being recorded. But Andrew keeps filming.

That's one of the most interesting things about this film. There is no omnipresent camera – viewers can only see what is going on through Andrew's camera, the camera of Matt's love interest, Casey, and through security cameras.

This tactic is well executed, not over-exaggerated like the shaky-amateur-cam tricks from "The Blair Witch Project" or "Cloverfield". Eventually, the viewer no longer focuses on who is holding the camera, but becomes enthralled in the storyline.

And there is an actual storyline. When Matt and Steve (Michael B. Jordan) – a popular class president-hopeful who is surprisingly nice – find  the hole, they rush to get Andrew to film their discovery. The powers given to them by the Mysterious Alien Thing are intense. Not only can they move inanimate objects with their minds – they can even fly.

The trio develops an intense bromance born through this craziness. In fact, they spend so much time together that Steve's cheerleader girlfriend begins to get jealous. Their growing friendship is fun to watch. Together, the three of them are hilarious, using their powers to play harmless pranks on strangers and cracking well-written jokes.

Of course, the film cannot be completely upbeat. Andrew, the most powerful of the three, becomes drunk with his new abilities. The old problems of his life begin to sting afresh, and he lashes out – only he has an unfair advantage over his enemies.

After a heartbreaking tragedy strikes, Andrew begins to spiral out of control, and it's up to his friends to stop him before he goes too far. 

Overall, "Chronicle" is worth the $12 movie ticket. The special effects are impeccable, the storyline is engaging, and the acting is exceptional. And after years of being sold dreams by sci-fi movie trailers, it's refreshing to watch one that is worth the hype.