Picked on at high school and abused at home, Andrew Detmer (played by Dane DeHaan) gets a video camera to chronicle his life. Turns out the timing is perfect because shortly after, he and his friends explore a cave where they find … something … and emerge with strange new powers. What do teens do with super powers? That’s just one of the questions addressed in Chronicle.
ClearPlay In Action!
ClearPlay trims 60 profanities, some references to sex, an implied lewd act at a party, and a lot of violence (including a spider being tortured). Chronicle is a “found footage” movie – in other words, the action is ostensibly filmed by the characters themselves, or has other logical reasons for existing. As a result, the ClearPlay edits are almost masked in the usual conventions of the style – shaky cam, dropped-out audio, strange cuts, etc. The climactic battle is still a bit violent for more sensitive viewers, and the overall mood, despite some light moments, is pretty dark. Use discretion younger family members.
Will this Chronicle remind me of Narnia?…
Though Chronicle falls into the fantasy/science fiction genre, it is played with a strong sense of reality. The effects are rather spectacular, and topics of bullying, teen violence, and abuse of power are all treated with deceptive depth. This type of movie won’t appeal to all tastes, but its thoughtful script and intriguing treatment of fantastical subject matter represents superior filmmaking.
Marty Nabhan—ClearPlay Chronicler
Rated PG-13 for intense action and violence, thematic material, some language, sexual content and teen drinking; 84 min; Directed by Josh Trank
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