Chronicle

Play trailer

2:09

Chronicle

PG-13

2012

1h 24m

Drama

Sci-Fi

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

187 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.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Noah Berlatsky

The Atlantic

08/28/2019

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

Go to Full Review

Shubhra Gupta

The Indian Express

03/27/2019

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.

Go to Full Review

Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

01/07/2013

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

Go to Full Review

Trace Thurman

Horror Queers Podcast

Dec 16

3.5/5

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

Go to Full Review

Joe Lipsett

Horror Queers Podcast

Dec 12

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

Go to Full Review

Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

07/17/2025

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.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Mate P

@matepolcz Jun 30

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.

See more

Kristofer K

@kbkaizer May 13

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.

See more

Nathan S

@Lettherebecarnage Apr 29

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

See more

Mehdi E

@Muaddib78 Apr 28

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

See more

Timothy P

@timop1919 Apr 24

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...

See more

Ry N

@RyGuy Apr 16

Three friends come into contact with a Blu Crystal and start clowning around town with Telekinetic powers until one of them goes full villain. The events of the film take place through Andrew's camera, a type of filmography that should've died in the 2000's.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Josh Trank

Director

Dane DeHaan

Andrew Detmer

Alex Russell

Matt Garretty

Michael B. Jordan

Steve Montgomery

Michael Kelly

Richard Detmer

Ashley Hinshaw

Casey Letter

Gravity

96%

79%

Gravity

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Gravity

The Circle

16%

21%

The Circle

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Circle

Victor Frankenstein

26%

37%

Victor Frankenstein

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Victor Frankenstein

Arrival

94%

83%

Arrival

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Arrival

The Final Cut

38%

45%

The Final Cut

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Chronicle: Trailer 1

2:09

View more videos

View more photos

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