Chronicle (2012)

Quick question for every found-footage movie: who’s holding the camera? Chronicle’s answer is eventually Andrew’s brain, which is a cheat and also kind of genius. Three high school guys get telekinesis, and the first half is the most believable version of that fantasy ever filmed. They shove cars around a parking lot, spook a kid with a floating teddy bear in a toy aisle and play catch above the clouds. Dane DeHaan is great as Andrew, a lonely kid with a rough home life, and Michael B. Jordan makes Steve so easygoing that the whole thing feels like a hangout. The problem is the turn. Andrew goes from bullied to dangerous in about a week, and the final showdown over Seattle stretches a reported $12 to $15M budget until the effects wobble. It made $126.6 million worldwide. A 7.1 because the opening hour is a sharp, original origin story and the last act outruns its money. $41.92 says you squint at the TV remote at least once tonight, just in case.

What works: The early pranks feel exactly like real teenagers with a secret, and Michael B. Jordan and Dane DeHaan make the friendship believable.

What doesn’t: Andrew’s slide into danger happens way too fast, and the big Seattle finale looks cheaper than the smart, small movie that came before it.

Who it’s for: Superhero fans who are tired of capes and want a smaller, scrappier story about what powers would really do to a kid.