Parents' Guide to

Chronicle

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Teens get super powers in relatable but violent thriller.

Movie PG-13 2012 84 minutes
Chronicle Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • 2:02

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 23 parent reviews

BobosCurse
BobosCurse Adult
April 16, 2013
age 18+

Not for kids. Glamorizes the wrong things.

I had to register for this site just to comment on this movie. What a world we live in where a movie that has CONSTANT swearing and sexual content is rated for 14-year-olds. You parents who think this is OK will be 40-year-old grandparents. I won't be able to depend on this site any more, Liberal, hands-off parents skew the reviews.
amerehuman95
amerehuman95 Adult
January 19, 2020
age 13+

Well made but/ Emotionally Draining

This film is rated 13 and up, those I feel 13 is lenient due to some of the themes and content (not to be a stick in the mud) not so much due to the sexual innuendo here and there Which isn't to prominent thankfully as there were no major love scenes or any real nudity to speak of only a few things said by the main cast of boys here and there that convey what alot of highschool boys probably think about. Violence on the other hand comes in several different forms in the film thankfully a good portion of it is unrealistic in that no one has the superpowers in real life to do the kind of damage seen in this movie. Now like alot of the reviews state here I'd be wrong to omit the fact that the film does start out largly light hearted and what you would expect of a teen centered flick but teens being the main characters doesn't necessarily canote them being the target audience. It's an intriguing story and does tickle the imagination, and the imaginative part is aided and reinforced by the fact that the film is shot pretty much entirely from a handheld camcorder as it seems to all be one ongoing vlog tho the visual quality is obviously Hollywood standard and not your biglots camcorder resolution so if you can get past that then there is one point in your favor, if violence in varying degrees is also tolerable and within your tastes then it should be fairly easy to stomach but it lacks certain things to academically score it higher than a B to B+ basically making it an under five buck movie rental hero on pizza night for the die hard audience of it's respective genre. It gets just as depressing as it does violent and it only gets worse twords the end between the emotional weight of the actual metaphorical wounds in the storyline to the violence and destruction that results from them I can't say this is exactly every movie goers dream nor is it everyone's pizza night light show of chioce either. It was emotionally draining and actually made me mad of all things but de me thnkfuth that the film was purely fictional... It even left me with a headache to be honest but that's because of the immense weight of all the themes thrown at you. I'm still scratching my head at the fact that my 6 year old nephew of all people showed it to me and even tried explaining it to me. I wouldn't show it to my kids if I had any. Alcohol and such had little prominence in the film to to my memory. As well as bullying and domestic violence and profanity sparsly thrown in along the other heavy or dark themes with not much relief thrown in to balance it all out will make this a hard watch for some. Well that's the signal standard on this VCR thanks for reading and I hope this helps.
See all 23 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Andrew (Dane Dehaan) is lost and in pain. His beloved mother is bedridden, wasting away with disease, her meds so expensive they can barely afford them. His unemployed father can't contain his anger and frustrations, preferring instead to use them as weapons against his son. Andrew's cousin, Matt (Alex Russell), is a help, but they're not that close. And hardly anyone at his school wants to be his friend; they're too busy making fun of him and his penchant for filming his daily life. Then, one day, Andrew, Matt, and their popular classmate, Steve (Michael B. Jordan), discover a hole in the ground that's vibrating with energy. Inside the cave to which it leads is an unexplained energy source that, after they encounter it, suffuses them with powers they could have only dreamed of: They can move objects, they can withstand heavy blows, and they can fly. At first, they use their talents for fun and games ... until the pressures of real life intervene, and one of them snaps.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (23 ):
Kids say (68 ):

Arguably, CHRONICLE's biggest triumph is how it authentically captures the nature of teenage male friendships -- their give and take, what makes them tick. This is what really makes the first half of this fascinating movie, which is part of the same "found-footage" genre as The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity, succeed (though that conceit seems unnecessarily gimmicky in this case). Watching the three stars is like getting invited into their fraternity. All three actors share a believable rapport; what motivates and intrigues them is what we imagine fascinates high school seniors on the brink of great change in their lives.

The main storyline is also a good hook: What would happen if random teenagers were suddenly equipped with superhero/comic book abilities? It makes so much sense that they'd waste it on a parking lot prank (a hilarious scene), or by tossing a football at warp speed among the clouds. And it also makes so much sense that things would go awry in a hurry. (To quote another superhero: With great power comes great responsibility.) Can teenagers really be expected to act responsibly, especially when they're sitting on a tinderbox of rage? Sadly, it's when this tinderbox ignites that the film loses its focus. Chronicle's last third feels like a rush to tie up loose ends, with a moral lesson to boot. The movie poses an interesting question, but the answer it comes up with is half-baked.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's violence. How does it compare to what you've seen in other movies about people with super powers? Is all of it necessary to the story?

  • Why are teenagers so cruel to each other sometimes? Parents, talk to your teens about handling bullying in real life.

  • What is Chronicle trying to say about male friendships? What about how strength can be used (or misused)?

  • Why do you think Andrew responds to the development of his powers differently from Steve and Matt? How do the unfolding events at home shape his reactions and decisions?

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