Friday Flicks: Harry Who? Daniel Radcliffe Returns in The Woman in Black

Grab some popcorn! NewsFeed’s Glen Levy brings you the movies you should check out (or avoid) this weekend.

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Chronicle

[youtube=http://youtu.be/9bzCDVPPwCA]

Tagline: What are you capable of?

What do you get if you cross The Blair Witch Project with Carrie, via Cloverfield, as imagined by John Hughes? Apparently the answer is Chronicle. First-time director Josh Trank, working from a script by Max Landis (son of John, the legendary director of, among others, An American Werewolf In London), tells a superhero-esque story about three high-school kids who make one of those incredible discoveries, leading to their developing uncanny powers beyond their understanding. Steve (Michael B. Jordan) is into sports, Matt (Alex Russell) is brainy but emotionally backward whereas his cousin Andrew (Dane DeHaan) is the classic outsider. But as they begin to control their abilities, using them to their advantage, their lives start to spin out of control.

Sounds like a blast, and at $15 million, almost certainly a blast representing value for money for the studio taking a chance on the newbies behind the camera. And, seemingly speaking with one voice, reviewers have been marveling at this movie, which has descended upon them like a bolt from the blue. “A stunning superhero/sci-fi that has appeared out of nowhere to demand your immediate attention,” notes Empire. “The summer’s incoming super-dudes should be feeling anxious,” concludes Total Film while Time Out New York says that “anyone who’s ever been in a teenage world of hurt can sympathize.” Looks like Spider-Man and co. have considerable cause for concern.

LIST: TIME’s Top 20 Worst Summer Blockbusters

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