CHRONICLE (2012) Movie Reaction! | First Time Watch | Dane DeHaan | Michael B. Jordan | Alex Russell
Analyzing the Found Footage Power Dynamics of *Chronicle*
Appreciate how Chronicle expertly minimizes common shaky-cam issues while exploring how supernatural powers amplify inherent teenage flaws, leading to destructive character arcs.
Short Summary
- Directors effectively avoided motion sickness pitfalls by using tripods and telekinetic camera stabilization.
- The initial strong friendship between the three leads fractures as one character embraces destructive isolation.
- Reviewers praise the film for making the found footage style feel authentic and avoiding cheesy execution despite its low budget.
This review analyzes the 2012 super-powered found footage film Chronicle, focusing on the cinematography choices and the rapid, tragic development of its main characters. Hosts Kristen and Michael discuss how the narrative uses the camera—and later, telekinesis—to document escalating moral choices that ultimately destroy the core friendship.
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Top Comments (10)
This is not a superhero origin story it’s a supervillain origin story and it’s fantastic
I feel like this is a found footage gem that people often forget. It's one of my favorites.
This is by far my favorite found footage film. People kept lumping it in the superhero genre but it has more in common with Carrie and Akira. Steve would have become a hero, Matt was a reluctant hero, and Andrew straight up became that world’s Magneto. All the abuse he went through coupled with receiving superpowers was a deadly cocktail that caused him to snap. After he killed Steve, he let his pos dad get inside his head and started disassociating like Faith did in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Both Andrew and Faith accidentally killed someone and immediately brushed off because they felt superior. Seeing Andrew go crazy in Downton Seattle in his hospital clothes was straight out of Akira.
29:05 The actress who plays Monica is Anna Wood, and she is the wife of Dane DeHaan, who plays Andrew in real life. They got married shortly after the filming of this movie and are still together today. They're actually the same age, by the way. PS: Next to the mirror in Andrew's room, we see a drawing of a man being pierced; this is foreshadowing for the end of the film.
Michael B Jordan has a crazy filmography. The Wire, Sopranos, Friday Night Lights, Creed , Black Panther, Sinners, Chronicle, ....thats atleast one iconic and cultural moment every 6/7 years.
As someone who was brutally bullied for a dozen years, and forced to the outskirts through little fault of my own while every authority figure sided with my tormentors, you have no idea how hard this movie spoke to me back in the day. Don't get me wrong, Andrew went way to far in the end, but until the scene at the gas station I was 100% rooting for him.
Him begging Andrew to stop is heartbreaking,😩
Love how Chronicle is slowly getting the attention it deserves. 🖤 I remember watching Chronicle in theatres so many times. Heavily underrated & would've blown up if it came out in 2025
$12million is a VERY TINY budget for what CHRONICLE movie makers achieved. It looked worth 3x or 4x on screen. Making a movie like this today, studios use over $60m AT LEAST.
This movie also solves one of the primary found footage problems, which is "WHY are they still filming things??" Because at first the characters are intentionally "chronicling" their new powers and experiences, and later because we're cutting between dozens of other perspectives that would naturally be filming the big fight happening.
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Top Comments (10)
This is not a superhero origin story it’s a supervillain origin story and it’s fantastic
I feel like this is a found footage gem that people often forget. It's one of my favorites.
This is by far my favorite found footage film. People kept lumping it in the superhero genre but it has more in common with Carrie and Akira. Steve would have become a hero, Matt was a reluctant hero, and Andrew straight up became that world’s Magneto. All the abuse he went through coupled with receiving superpowers was a deadly cocktail that caused him to snap. After he killed Steve, he let his pos dad get inside his head and started disassociating like Faith did in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Both Andrew and Faith accidentally killed someone and immediately brushed off because they felt superior. Seeing Andrew go crazy in Downton Seattle in his hospital clothes was straight out of Akira.
29:05 The actress who plays Monica is Anna Wood, and she is the wife of Dane DeHaan, who plays Andrew in real life. They got married shortly after the filming of this movie and are still together today. They're actually the same age, by the way. PS: Next to the mirror in Andrew's room, we see a drawing of a man being pierced; this is foreshadowing for the end of the film.
Michael B Jordan has a crazy filmography. The Wire, Sopranos, Friday Night Lights, Creed , Black Panther, Sinners, Chronicle, ....thats atleast one iconic and cultural moment every 6/7 years.
As someone who was brutally bullied for a dozen years, and forced to the outskirts through little fault of my own while every authority figure sided with my tormentors, you have no idea how hard this movie spoke to me back in the day. Don't get me wrong, Andrew went way to far in the end, but until the scene at the gas station I was 100% rooting for him.
Him begging Andrew to stop is heartbreaking,😩
Love how Chronicle is slowly getting the attention it deserves. 🖤 I remember watching Chronicle in theatres so many times. Heavily underrated & would've blown up if it came out in 2025
$12million is a VERY TINY budget for what CHRONICLE movie makers achieved. It looked worth 3x or 4x on screen. Making a movie like this today, studios use over $60m AT LEAST.
This movie also solves one of the primary found footage problems, which is "WHY are they still filming things??" Because at first the characters are intentionally "chronicling" their new powers and experiences, and later because we're cutting between dozens of other perspectives that would naturally be filming the big fight happening.