Anything can happen at the “late” movie. At any given moment, popcorn will fly, drunken teenagers will scream and strange men in the back row will … ahem … be strange.
But at a late-night showing of Chronicle, the bizarre creatures that lurked in the shadows of the silver screen fell completely still and silent. Using stunning special effects, intense action sequences and an unorthodox filming style, Chronicle leaves viewers absorbed by its overwhelming amount of energy.
Chronicle is the story of three high-schoolers who find a magical cave-dwelling alien that gives them telekinetic powers. Throughout the entire film, the three telekinetic musketeers spend their time honing their powers, learning how to fly and move heavy objects such as cars and trees.
However, like every other film that involves people inheriting supernatural abilities, one of the characters becomes drunk with power and ends up as the bad guy. It’s a predictable, recycled storyline that doesn’t allow for much character development, leaving those in search of a compelling story unsatisfied.
Even though the storyline of Chronicle lacks depth, well-planned plot lines and complex characters aren’t needed to fuel this film. Chronicle plays to its strengths with its incredible visual effects and unique filming, which single-handedly makes this movie memorable.
First of all, Chronicle is filmed handycam style, similar to films such as Cloverfield and the Paranormal Activity series. Like every other footage-style film, the audience experiences the entire film through the main character’s camera lens. Although many films in this style use camera shots that are either still enough to induce yawns or shaky enough to induce vomiting, Chronicle finds a perfect balance between the two.
Chronicle also wows the audience using an unseen “floating” camera technique. At the beginning of the movie, the story’s protagonist becomes so talented at telekinesis that he can make his video camera float in the air and move at his command. If he thinks about where he wants to camera to go, it will fly there instantly. This technique creates jaw-dropping, atmospheric visuals.
The film also exceeds expectations with its visual effects. Although the film had a budget of only 15 million dollars, Chronicle’s visual effects are crisp and realistic, and are grand enough to make viewers double-take. Combined with fast-paced action scenes, Chronicle satisfies those in need of a hard-hitting action film.
Even in a dark room full of strange, rowdy people, Chronicle proves to be interesting, spellbinding and endlessly thrilling. Chronicle’s intensity and top-notch visuals make it a one-of-a-kind experience and a must-see film of the year.