Three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.
Josh Trank’s savvy sleeper buffs up superhero and hand-held thrills. Believable then bad-ass, it isn’t wholly original but it does brim with emotion, imagination and modern implication. Take that, Bats.
A stunning superhero/sci-fi that has appeared out of nowhere to demand your immediate attention.
A surprise hit but ultimately no less of a novelty than its forbears.
It’s a nifty enough concept and while there are some spurious justifications for the first-person style, writer Max Landis and director Josh Trank make up for it by figuring out a plot-based way to avoid nauseating shakey-cam effects.
Just when we thought found-footage movies were all played out, 26-year-old director Josh Trank and co-writer Max Landis (son of John) have come up with a crackingly good film that puts new and thrilling life into the traditional theme of the lonely guy getting superpowers.
The frolics of the first half are more enjoyable than the mayhem of the second, though Landis earns his spurs with an incisive portrayal of youthful angst and bereavement.
Powerful stuff.
It’s a pity that the “found footage” gimmick, exploited to death by now in the likes of Cloverfield, [Rec], Apollo 18 and Troll Hunter, feels so rote and obligatory, putting a big dent in this film’s general freshness. Still, Trank whips through Max Landis's storytelling with such addictive speed, it’s like consuming several whole seasons of Heroes at a gulp.
A smart, original twist on the superhero genre grounded in an unusual level of emotional conviction.
It's a thrilling and inventive yet poignant debut from Josh Trank and his screenwriter, Max Landis, who may yet match the genre-twisting of his father, John.
Neither the boys nor the film's director and screenwriter (Max Landis, son of John Landis and costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis) can think of anything to do with these special gifts that is not frivolous, playful or malevolent. Maybe that's the point.
This is only Trank's debut feature. If he can do all this on not much of a budget, you'll be hearing from him again.
Chronicle presents a well-executed, darker approach to the superhero/villain origin story.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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