Chronicle

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2:09

Chronicle

PG-13

2012

1h 24m

Drama

Sci-Fi

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

188 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Andrew (Dane DeHaan) is a socially awkward, introverted teen whose main form of escape and expression is a video camera. But things begin to change when Andrew, his cousin Matt (Alex Russell) and popular classmate Steve (Michael B. Jordan) discover a mysterious substance that leaves them with incredible powers. As their abilities become more powerful, the teens' lives spin out of control when their darker sides begin to emerge. Andrew's camera captures the unfolding events.

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Critics Consensus

Chronicle transcends its found-footage gimmick with a smart script, fast-paced direction, and engaging performances from the young cast.

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Noah Berlatsky

The Atlantic

Aug 28, 2019

Happily, and to my surprise, Chronicle's turns out to provide quite a bit of genre fun, and a touching little parable to boot.

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Shubhra Gupta

The Indian Express

Mar 27, 2019

2.5/5

Yes, Chronicle is sort of sci fi, and reminded me of an old Stephen King novel called It. But what interested me most was the quick leaping interplay between the teens.

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Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

Jan 7, 2013

As pulp sci-fi this Fox release is pretty good, but it's also commendable for its sensitive depiction of adolescent behavior.

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Trace Thurman

Horror Queers Podcast

Dec 16, 2025

3.5/5

Trank upends the found footage genre, delivering a scathing takedown of toxic masculinity wrapped up in a superhero movie package.

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Joe Lipsett

Horror Queers Podcast

Dec 12, 2025

3.5/5

Anchored by two great performances by DeHaan and a charismatic Michael B. Jordan, Landis' script also has a clever way of circumventing the "how did they shoot this?" found footage issue

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Jul 17, 2025

3/5

At first, you only catch the self-documentary/"found footage" gimmick, but the movie elevates its game, literally and figuratively, as it progresses, creating an entertaining, interesting, and compelling addition to the genre.

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Deanna I

@RT81308103 Aug 20, 2026

The worst movie I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

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Mate P

@matepolcz Jun 30, 2026

Chronicle is mixed because of how I feel about the tone shift. I really liked the first half. It showed the stupid, dangerous and inappropriate stuff teenagers would do with superpowers (and a camera). The twist ruined the vibe for me. It wasn't built up enough and it went too far in my opinion. The cinematography is interesting, but alongside the editing and acting it went off rails in the second half. The visual effects were hit or miss and 50-50. Like some of it was really good and convincing, while other shots were really fake. Chronicle isn't a bad movie, it just went in a direction I didn't like.

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Kristofer K

@kbkaizer May 13, 2026

I wanted to love it, but the basic story arc paired with the half-assed Blair Witch Project effect just didn’t get me there.

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Nathan S

@Lettherebecarnage Apr 29, 2026

I really enjoyed watching this movie lot my rated 9.4/10

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Mehdi E

@Muaddib78 Apr 28, 2026

What a nice surprise. This 2012 film had somehow slipped under my radar. Shot in a "found footage" style (Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity), it tackles the theme of superpowers in a fresh, original way. I really liked the psychological angle they chose. Strong performances from the three leads, with a very young Michael B. Jordan and a pretty unsettling Dane DeHaan

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Timothy P

@timop1919 Apr 24, 2026

I couldn't finish because everyone being upset about a camera filming them didn't make sense now that literally everyone is filming themselves 24/7. That was too distracting to get into the actual plot...

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Josh Trank

Director

Dane DeHaan

Andrew Detmer

Alex Russell

Matt Garretty

Michael B. Jordan

Steve Montgomery

Michael Kelly

Richard Detmer

Ashley Hinshaw

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Chronicle: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Andrew (Dane DeHaan) is a socially awkward, introverted teen whose main form of escape and expression is a video camera. But things begin to change when Andrew, his cousin Matt (Alex Russell) and popular classmate Steve (Michael B. Jordan) discover a mysterious substance that leaves them with incredible powers. As their abilities become more powerful, the teens' lives spin out of control when their darker sides begin to emerge. Andrew's camera captures the unfolding events.

Director: Josh Trank
Producer: John Davis, Adam Schroeder
Screenwriter: Max Landis
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Dune, Twentieth Century Fox, Davis Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Sexual Content|Intense Action and Violence|Some Language|Teen Drinking|Thematic Material)
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 3, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $64.6M
Runtime: 1h 24m
Sound Mix: Dolby, SDDS

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