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Movies & TV Movies & TV Reviews

Chronicle

CHRONICLE (Josh Trank). 84 minutes. Opens Friday (February 3). For venues and times, see Movies. Rating: NNNNN


It’s nearly impossible to write about Chronicle without giving away its secrets. Hell, by the time you read this, the internet will be crawling with spoilers. Don’t go looking for them. The movie deserves fresh eyes.

Josh Trank’s ingenious, resourceful feature applies the found-footage principle to a very unlikely genre, using the gimmick to move the story forward and ground its more outsized activity in a believable, even mundane reality.

Most of the footage we see is shot by Andrew (Dane DeHaan), a miserable teenager dealing with an ailing mother, a drunken, abusive father and a hellish school life. And then, one night, Andrew’s popular cousin Matt (Alex Russell) and Matt’s friend Steve (Michael B. Jordan) drag Andrew and his camcorder down into a hole in the ground. They find something there that changes them – and not necessarily for the better.

Honestly, there’s no way to describe why the movie works so brilliantly without spoiling its greatest moments. It’s thrilling to watch it evolve, blossoming into something very familiar while feeling utterly new.

Go see it. And marvel.

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