Cameramen

Before I start my review of Chronicle, let me say how cool it is to see a film set in Seattle and ACTUALLY FIILMED in Seattle. Normally movies just do one or two sweeping shots of the Space Needle and the rest is filmed in Vancouver, BC. But, having lived up there for most of my life, I can safely say that the shots of Downtown Seattle are authentic. It's nice.

Anyway, Chronicle. It's awesome. Go see it. The less you know about it, the better, meaning stop reading this thing, see the flick, then come back and finish this. It's really, really cool.

Chronicle follows three high school seniors: bullied nerd Andrew, douchey philosopher Matt, and type-A personality Steve. Andrew has decided to put his life on camera, which is convenient, because one night him and the other two stumble upon a...thing (yeah, its not explained) that gives them telekinetic superpowers. After some experimentation, the trio decide to use their newfound abilities for the greater good and fight crime in their local city.

Wait, no, thats an entirely different kind of film. The trio decide to use their abilities to fuck around in Seattle.

Based on that description, you might assume the main characters are lameass frat boy knockoffs that you'd find getting hit in the nuts on YouTube. However, Andrew, Matt, and Steve come off as likeable and genuinely nice guys. The joke around with each other but you don't really feel any genuine malice between them, even when things get rough.

Oh by the way, things get rough. Like, batshit insane rough. The third act is balls-to-the-wall crazy but in a fantastic way. In fact, throughout the whole movie, we see clever and interesting ways of the trio using their powers. Normally, with telekinesis on film, it's an excuse for filmmakers to demonstrate superpowers without needing high budget effects; characters don't have to shoot lasers or fire or anything, just attatch a wire to something, fling it, and fix it in post. And yet Chronicle still uses CGI to get the more elaborate stunts done. It doesn't look the best, but we're more impressed with the characters than with the technology.

Its actually really fitting that it's set in Seattle; the 206 was the home of the first in the 21st Century's real-life superhero movements (Phoenix Jones, a.k.a. Ben Foder). Chronicle feels like both an extension and an inversion of the idea set up in films like Kick-Ass or Super: rather than people deciding to fight with no powers, here people get powers and decide not to fight with them. The trio use their abilities for personal gain without being particularly violent. It's wish fulfilment, and it works.

More than anything, however, Chronicle shows that a good film can be made, marketed, and released without plugging big name stars, directors, or writers. Joe Trank and Max Landis have put together a great 'ordinary meets extraordinary' flick, and I'd love to see what they do next, particularly if this, their initial outing, blossoms into a franchise. Once again, go see this flick, and I'll see you next time.