Chronicle

Blending adolescent sci-fi fantasy and timely commentary about bullying with The Blair Witch Project's found-footage concept, director Josh Trank's mockumentary revolves around three teenagers who acquire mysterious superpowers. Nerdy, volatile Andrew (Dane DeHaan)—whose digital camera records most of the story—is a tormented, troubled loner. His intellectual cousin, Matt (Alex Russell), has a penchant for quoting philosophers, including Plato and Schopenhauer. And Steve (Michael B. Jordan) is the cool popular kid in their high school. After a party, they discover a huge hole in the ground, leading to an underground tunnel that harbors a mysterious, glowing artifact. Suddenly, the kids are able to move things with their minds—including themselves. After a joyous, self-propelled flight through the clouds, the morality-based plot focuses on how each boy chooses to use his telekinetic powers…and the subsequent consequences. Delighted, Matt and Steve amuse themselves with levitating pranks and stunts, goofing around with various inanimate objects, such as Legos and a baseball. Matt wants them to follow sensible rules, like “No using it on living things” and “You can't use it when you're angry.” But Andrew's path is more sinister: beaten by his alcoholic, disabled ex-firefighter father and left to care for his dying mother, he becomes intoxicated with his own omnipotence, culminating in a murderous rampage. Presenting believable (if also overly formulaic) coming-of-age characters, this dark superhero tale is a strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include “Pre-Viz” segments (8 min.), a camera test segment (4 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are an extended director's cut, a brief deleted scene, and bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an interesting if uneven film.] (S. Granger)