Matt Garetty

Matt Garetty is the cousin of Andrew Detmer and is the secondary, later main protagonist of the 2012 film, Chronicle. He is portrayed by Alex Russell.

He mostly dislikes Andrew because of him being asocial, not fitting in with the popular crowd and not attending parties. Matt on the other hand is mostly one of the popular kids who has a "screw you" attitude, Andrew and Matt were close when they were younger but once both of them went to high school, they separated due to Matt joining the popular side. But now he manages to stick around and sometimes be there for Andrew. Matt drives Andrew to school everyday. Matt reveals to show feelings for Casey Letter, who becomes his girlfriend later on after he got his powers. It is unknown whether Matt takes drugs but it is revealed in the found-footage version that he smokes weed and could possibly have some in his small tin can inside his car.

History
When Matt was younger, he and Andrew Detmer were really close as cousins doing lots of things together. When they got older, however, they started to drift apart as Matt was more sociable and outgoing and by high school, started to avoid Andrew due to him being isolated, withdrawn and considered "creepy" by the other students. He has had a crush on Casey Letter since their sophomore year.

Beginning
Matt picks up Andrew from his house in his car and drives him to their school. During the ride, Matt questions Andrew about his camera, to which Andrew replies that he is going to be filming everything. Matt also starts quoting philosophy to Andrew about how life has no meaning. At the parking lot of the school, Matt tells Andrew that he'll pick him up after last period while turning the radio up and staying in the car, not wanting to be seen interacting with Andrew. Later on in the day while Matt is driving Andrew home, he mentions to Andrew that a party is going to be held in an off-limits area that night. Matt encourages Andrew to come along with him to the party to get him to meet new people and socialize. He even attempts to give Andrew advice to leave his camera at home considering bringing the camera would be weird and creepy, but to no avail.

The Party
Matt arrives at the party with Andrew and tells him not to follow him around, not wanting to be embarrassed by being seen with Andrew and his camera. While Andrew is talking with Casey, Matt walks up and trying to appear cool to her, quotes philosophy saying that he isn't one to seek widespread validation by attending the party, which backfires with her walking off and Andrew jokingly commenting on it.

The Discovery
During the party, Andrew is found by Steve Montgomery, a popular student and athlete who wants to become Senior Class President. He tells Andrew to join him and Matt, who recently discovered a hole in the ground emitting a strange loud noise. After Steve and Andrew brought his camera along to record the occurrence, they find Matt at the hole. When they hear the strange noise again, the three guys jump into the hole and they traverse through a cavern that descends deep below the ground and find the source of the noise, a large, blue-glowing crystalline object. Andrew's camera begins to malfunction from the noise emitting from the large object. As Steve touches the object, it's glow turns from a light blue to a blood red making an ear rattling sound that hurts their ears as Steve falls to the ground with nosebleeding and Matt gets slammed against the cavern wall. As the boys are screaming in pain the camera cuts out to black.

Testing Their New Powers
Weeks after or maybe a day later, seemingly having developed telekinetic abilities after their encounter, the trio begin filming their abilities on Andrew's new camera. Matt attempts to stop a baseball thrown at him with his telekinetic powers but fails and gets hit in the face with Steve and Andrew laughing. During Steve's attempt, Matt uses his powers to bounce the ball off the ground and hits him in the face. On Steve's second try Matt curves the ball in a wide arc making Steve to just watch the ball and hitting him in the face and laughs in amusement. When Andrew‘s attempt comes, he stops the ball in mid-air, with Matt congratulating his cousin for his feat, but then Andrew start to have a nosebleed. In his bedroom, Matt frustratingly tries using his powers to levitate lego blocks to create a model building, but can barely manipulate two of the blocks. Andrew easily and successfully creates a model tower, and Matt in surprise, amazement and frustration, knocks it down. While at a small pond telekinetically skipping stones across the water, Matt and Andrew talk. Matt reveals that he didn't really like being around Andrew before they got their powers, due to Andrew being hard to talk to and isolated. At school Matt talks with Steve and Andrew about the proper term for the powers they have. Noticing a group of girls nearby, Matt uses his powers to move a leaf blower that blows a girl's skirt up and the boys walk away laughing. Sitting in the school's gym, Matt theorizes that their ability functions like a muscle, in which that the more they use it, the stronger they become and straining it out causes injury, as he was able to lift up his bed without a nosebleed. As Andrew considers using their powers more outside, Matt and Steve agree.

Out Of The Backyard
The trio head to a nearby toy store and begin playing numerous pranks on people with their powers. They make a customer's shopping cart move on its own as the customer chases it down. They frighten a little girl by making a teddy bear levitate and speak to her. Matt attempts to pull the gum out of an unsuspecting customer's mouth, but only causes trouble by using a concussive blast to knock him into a shelf. Standing outside in the parking lot, Matt and Andrew witness Steve move a customer's car to another parking spot with his mind. When the customer wonders what happens to her car and finds it, Matt laughs so hard that he gets a giggle fit. On the highway as they are driving, an annoying driver tailgates Matt's car. Andrew, accidentally sends the driver and his truck through the rail guard and into the river below. Shocked and surprised, Matt pulls the car over and Steve jumps into the water to save the man. Matt argues with Andrew on what he did as Steve pulls the injured man from the water. They contact the police and told them that the man simply went into the river.

The Final Battle And An Apology
While Matt attended a birthday party, he discovers on the news that Andrew is in trouble. He drives with Casey to the hospital. As he gets there he saves Andrew's abusive father, Richard Detmer from being thrown by Andrew on the surface of the hospital. Matt and Andrew have their short argument about Matt treating Andrew so badly and leaving him alone. After that they battle by throwing cars at each other, crashing on buildings while flying until Matt impaled Andrew with a spear and leaving him to his death. Matt flies to Tibet and leaves a video of himself to symbolically show to Andrew and leaves the camera taping the beautiful mountains of Tibet.