SummaryThree high school students make an incredible discovery, leading to them developing uncanny powers beyond their understanding. As they learn to control their abilities, and use them to their advantage, their lives start to spin out of control, and their darker sides begin to take over. [20th Century Fox]
Directed By:Josh Trank
Written By:Max Landis, Josh Trank
Chronicle
Metascore
Generally Favorable
69
User score
Generally Favorable
7.3
My Score
Drag or tap to give a rating
Hover and click to give a rating
Where to Watch
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
69
77% Positive
24 Reviews
24 Reviews
19% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Feb 10, 2012
100
If the characters weren't so well drawn, if the effects weren't so convincing, and if the upshot weren't so ghastly, the moral component wouldn't carry any weight. But Trank tells his tale with an emotional and visual crispness that gives the superhero genre its best crack at naturalism so far.
Feb 10, 2012
83
Chronicle is so clever about the absurd, and so much fun to watch, that I'm almost disappointed the ending doesn't leave room for a sequel.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.3
77% Positive
492 Ratings
492 Ratings
15% Mixed
98 Ratings
98 Ratings
7% Negative
46 Ratings
46 Ratings
Jan 20, 2026
10
The gritty reality of god-like burden: A 5.0-star "sensational" subversion of the superhero mythos.2012 (5.0)I watched this film in the theater in 2012, and it left me absolutely stunned—it was a total "revelation." Up until that point, I had always assumed that movies about people with superpowers were bound to be upbeat, heroic, and exciting in a traditional way. However, I had never seen a story where having extraordinary abilities was depicted with such "raw" and pathetic misery. The setup was incredibly "sensational" because it focused on how power can amplify the insecurities of someone who is already "찌질한" (pathetic) and deeply depressed. The visceral nature of their descent into darkness provided a "chewy" tension that kept me completely immersed in their crumbling world. The 95% preservation of my shock stems from how the film **** the fourth wall of my expectations, replacing glossy heroism with a gritty, found-footage reality that felt startlingly alive. It wasn't just a movie; it was a high-tension psychological study of what happens when the fragile human ego is given the weight ****. This remains a perfect 5.0-star milestone in my archive because it dared to be ugly, dark, and profoundly honest about the nature of power, standing in stark contrast to the hollow fantasies that usually occupy the genre.
Jan 26, 2020
10
I saw this about 5 years ago and of all the superhero movies it has stuck with me the most. There is an innocence that harkens to adolescence and makes it inherently nostalgic. A found footage style movie with seamless visual effects and spot on performances, too bad the director didn't really do anything else. People who manage their money can be such a bore.
Feb 10, 2012
75
Bolstered by the natural performances of a trio of little-known actors, the very watchable Chronicle keeps us captive throughout.
Feb 10, 2012
70
Unlike other mock documentaries, which unconvincingly pass themselves off as real, Chronicle cleverly embraces the format as shorthand for a new kind of naturalism, inviting audiences to suspend disbelief and join in the fantasy of being able to do anything with their minds.
Feb 10, 2012
70
As pulp sci-fi this Fox release is pretty good, but it's also commendable for its sensitive depiction of adolescent behavior: even the bullying scenes avoid the caricature of most studio films.
Feb 10, 2012
50
A few more bucks (or a little more thought) for the script would have been a better investment than faking Seattle. The characters are introduced so quickly, and their personalities are so thin, that what happens to them has little weight.
Feb 10, 2012
38
With great power comes the responsibility to make a decent movie, but the mysterious force running through Chronicle is the power to supersuck.
Aug 31, 2018
10
One of the best movie ever in my life. It has all necessary pieces of drama with realistic supernatural side. I like this actors games, plot, personal conflict, philosophy of force and relationship with it.
This is great work for first picture by Josh Trank
Jun 30, 2026
6
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.
Dec 16, 2023
6
A raíz del éxito de El proyecto de la bruja Blair se dio una racha de películas idénticas, con el formato de documental encontrado. Éste que tiene guiños con el género de superhéroes habría sido mejor de no ser por las secuencias entrecortadas y porque es difícil empatizar con los personajes.
Jun 7, 2013
3
this is by far the worst movie of 2012, oh wait i apologize, i wouldn't actually call it a movie, it's look like something you see on YouTube nowadays NOT on the big screen, because there is nothing about this that actually make it a movie, no story at all, a sudden changes of events and terrible ending,everything about this movie is awful, even the visuals are horrific which is what the movie all about, the last scene on the Mountains that it's covered with ice was obviously a green screen effect which i can do with a video camera and an editing software, this "movie" was done so IMMATURELY that it pissed me off.
Apr 28, 2012
3
I can understand the "found footage" idea, but even though there's seemingly a camera recording every second of modern life, why the film felt like it needed to have the contrived character of the intellectual, video blog-poster in the story doesn't cut it. Yes, you can argue that she helped further develop one of the main characters that represented balance, but doing so while trying to stay within the rules of "found footage" and having her filming every moment including when she's answering the door at home to when she's being lifted in her VW Bug on top of the Space Needle is a terrible choice and appears absolutely forced.
Production Company:
- 20th Century Fox
- Davis Entertainment
- Dune Entertainment
Release Date:Feb 3, 2012
Duration:1 h 24 m
Rating:PG-13
Tagline:What are you capable of?
Awards
Golden Trailer Awards
• 1 Win & 3 Nominations
IGN Summer Movie Awards
• 2 Nominations
Golden Schmoes Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
