Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Chronicle
2012
****
Director: Josh Trank
Cast: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly, Ashley Hinshaw, Anna Wood, Bo Petersen

Three high school kids - the shy and bullied Andrew, his cousin Matt, and the popular Steve - discover a mysterious object which gives them telekinetic abilities. They first use them for private fun, but the true extent of the powers gradually begins to weigh on the boys, especially Andrew, whose family is going through crisis. Josh Trank's feature debut is presented as a mix of found footage, mostly from Andrew's video camera. Trank and his co-writer Max Landis manage to convince us why the camera is always there, but as the tension builds, the gimmick makes less and less sense. Even if the storytelling technique is not original, the premise thankfully is. This is a tightly directed and very entertaining scifi thriller. The special effects are subtle but superb.