Before Ruining His Career With 'Fantastic Four', Josh Trank Made This Genius Sci-Fi Masterpiece

In 2012, Chronicle, the directorial debut of Josh Trank, was released and immediately became a pleasant surprise in the sci-fi genre. The movie grossed $126 million at the box office, despite having a budget of only $15 million.

Chronicle isn't your typical superhero movie, instead of a melodramatic origin story, it explores the dark side of superhumans and shows how power can corrupt troubled teenagers.

What Is 'Chronicle' About?

Three teenagers, Andrew, his cousin Matt, and Steve, find a meteorite and gain superpowers. At first, they use their powers for harmless fun and film everything.

However, after an incident nearly kills someone, the boys lose control. If you're not popular in school, having the gift of telekinesis and the ability to fly can really go to your head and from there, it's not far to turn to the dark side.

'Chronicle' Is a Dark Take On the Superhero Genre, Shot in the Style of Found Footage

Josh Trank approaches the superhero genre from a unique perspective – Chronicle is a grand meditation on what would really happen if a typical loser gained superhuman powers.

Trank is a misanthrope: he believes that nothing good would come of it because, ultimately, we all want world domination.

Critics loved the movie, and Dane DeHaan's on-screen villainy didn't go unnoticed by Hollywood – he soon landed the role of Harry Osborn in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Chronicle cost only $12 million to make, a mere fraction of what a typical superhero film costs, yet it still feels compelling and fresh – in the documentary style of The Blair Witch Project, teenagers gain powers by filming the destructive effects of their abilities.

'Chronicle' Deserves a Sequel, but Given the Trajectory of Trank's Career, We'll Never See It

One might say that Josh Trank's career began and ended with Chronicle. After the failure of Fantastic Four, we haven't heard much from the director, and a Chronicle sequel seems unlikely.

Dane DeHaan creates a memorable character as Andrew – he transforms from a bullied schoolboy into a power-obsessed monster, a terrifyingly believable transformation.

The movie launched the actor's career, but Trank himself was never able to restore his reputation after the resounding failure. Still, Chronicle is a brilliant, unconventional sci-fi work that was ahead of its time.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Chronicle'?

• Chronicle has 85% from critics and 72% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.0/10.

• On Letterboxd, Chronicle scored 3.5/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Chronicle'?

Chronicle is available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.