Chronicle Movie Review

Sometimes, filmmakers use gimmicks where none are needed. Chronicle plays out like a documentary filmed by the characters, similar to movies such as The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield. But, while it does find some interesting ways to play with this concept, the gimmick ends up yanking us out of what might otherwise be an entertaining story.
Andrew (Dane DeHaan) is a troubled kid. That's clear from the moment he begins recording his life on video, the camera pointed at the locked door of his bedroom while his abusive father pounds on the other side. It gets worse: his mother is very ill and slowly dying, and his days at school are a combination of loneliness and being bullied. His only friend seems to be his cousin Matt (Alex Russell), who tries unsuccessfully to warn Andrew that carrying a video camera everywhere he goes is only going to make things worse.

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