Original superhero stories are getting harder and harder to come by as the genre edges closer towards saturation point on an annual basis, but there’s no denying that Chronicle still stands tall more than a decade on from its release as one of the most strikingly unique entries to the genre the 21st Century has seen.
Found footage in itself was well past tired by the time the movie arrived in 2021, but painting it in a fresh coat of superpowered paint turned out to be a masterstroke that audiences couldn’t get enough of, with Chronicle topping the domestic box office on its way to a $126 million worldwide haul on a $12 million budget, not to mention a Certified Fresh critical approval rating of 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
However, what might even be more fascinating than the story itself, is what happened to its key players in the aftermath. Michael B. Jordan and Dane DeHaan both delivered star-making performances, and it would be fair to say that Chronicle served as the springboard to the sustained success each actor continues enjoying to this day.
On the other side of the coin, director Josh Trank jumped straight into the ill-fated Fantastic Four reboot and effectively annihilated his mainstream career after previously being dubbed one of Hollywood’s hottest prospect. Meanwhile, screenwriter Max Landis was also designated a rising star in his own right, before widespread accusations of misogyny and sexual misconduct saw him pretty much blacklisted from the industry.
To say the most important cogs in the Chronicle machine fared vastly differently would be an understatement, but it hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of streaming subscribers, with FlixPatrol revealing the gem to be one of the most-watched titles on iTunes.