All genres must push the boundaries if they are to remain fresh and interesting whether they are Westerns, Space Operas or Crime movies. Most genres, like the Superhero movie, are content to play the safe ground and generally rework the basic origin story like Iron Man, Spider-Man or even more unusual variations like Thor or Captain America. But some explore the genre in different directions like how superheroes affect a person’s personality or how they influence the world around them. With the resurgence of the genre just over a decade ago some truly groundbreaking films have emerged such as Unbreakable, Watchmen, Kick Ass and Super which have sought to explore superheroics in a new light.
The latest film to achieve these great heights is Chronicle, from writer/director Josh Trank. it does this primarily by blending familiar genres in a fresh and interesting ways, so not only is it a super-hero origin film with a varied trio of high school kids gaining telekinetic powers exponentially, but it’s also a hand held, found footage style film which lends the drama an air of authenticity and immediacy to everything. It also feels right at home in the horror genre too as the story explores the corrupting influence of unbridled power on an unstable mind. Then add to that a huge dollop of teen growing pains and you’ve got a mixture that has plenty of potential.
The execution is also superb with a threesome of teenage lads come across as likable and human enough to separate themselves from slasher film fodder, it’s inventively directed and amazingly, economically written so that it gets right to the core of the film without the viewer feeling short changed. For a staggeringly low budget film the effects are very impressive, the Seattle setting refreshing and it’s all admirably character based.
Of course it’s never quite escapes it’s origins being reminiscent of the Star Wars sequels (specifically Anakin’s journey), Captain America (if we had followed the Red Skull’s journey) or closer still the 70’s classic The Medusa Touch which had uber-scary Richard Burton as a telekinetic menace. But by being handled with such care, energy and intelligence Chronicle transcends them all.
1 comment:
I concur. Great movie. Takes several genres inc. superhero, horror, teen angst and pulls them together in a new and interesting way. The three leads are great, the pace is swift, the storytelling smart and economic with the docu style lending the film a real immediacy that is pretty darn effective. The angry brutality of Andrew's father especially caused me to wince a couple of times. Quite shocking and emotionally affecting in its own way. Plus the end smack down is awesome in a end of Superman 2 way - only with stroppy teens fighting, not Supes vs. Zod and co.
Sequel please.
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