Review: Synchronic

Coming to Video On Demand is the new sci-fi thriller entitled Synchronic, which is scheduled for release on October 23^rd. The film, which was directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, and based on a script by Benson, stars Anthony Mackie and Jamie Doran as New Orleans paramedics that discover a mysterious street drug which is leaving its users dead or missing, and may involve time-travel. The result is a fascinating and truly original story that mixes science fiction and real-world drama, led by a commanding performance from Mackie and impressive direction by Benson and Moorhead. 

Set in New Orleans, Synchronic centers on two paramedic friends, Steve (Mackie), a single womanizer, and Dennis (Doran), who is married with two kids. They soon discover that a new street drug called synchronic is having strange effects on its users, leaving some dead and others missing. After Steve is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Dennis’ daughter, Brianna (Ally Iaonnides), goes missing and it is assumed that she had taken synchronic. Steve then buys up the last of the new drug off of the streets, in an effort to protect others, only to find that it is actually a time-traveling drug. Realizing that Brianna is really lost in time, Steve begins experimenting with the drug to find out how it works. Now, Steve is determined to use his remaining time to find Brianna, wherever or whenever she is, to bring peace to his friend’s family, and find some redemption for himself.

Synchronic is a very impressive and well-made indie film, with a great script by Justin Benson, and excellent direction from Benson and Aaron Moorhead. There is a reason that you don’t see a lot of low-budget science fiction films, its because visual effects are expensive and when you don’t have a lot of money to spend on your movie, it’s difficult to really build a believable sci-fi world. But Benson and Moorhead deserve a lot of credit for wisely spending their budget in the right places. Setting the movie in New Orleans allowed the filmmakers to shoot in a state with filming incentives, but it also lends itself to the gritty nature of the story. And the money that was saved can be seen in the time-traveling scenes where Steve very believably travels to the ice age or even dinosaur times. 

I also thought it was an interesting choice to have all the time-travel take place over centuries. The drug doesn’t take you back a week, or a year, or even a decade, instead it can take you to the Civil War, or even back as far as the beginning of time. This adds to the creepy-tone of the film, which boarders the horror genre at times, but mostly stays in its sci-fi/thriller lane. Benson’s script is very good, even beyond its bold premise. Yes, the time-traveling aspect will grab your attention, but it’s the deep relationships between the characters that really make the film work. 

The relationship between Steve and Dennis is apparent from the opening moments and filled with tension but deep-rooted love. I also enjoyed the relationship between Steve and Brianna, which is set up early in the film with a tender scene between the two characters. Brianna’s established estrangement from her parents builds a bond between her and Steve, who is like an uncle to her. This bond helps ground the film emotionally, and makes what Steve does for Brianna and Dennis that much more powerful in the end. And I have to mention one other important relationship in the film, and that is between Steve and his dog. Mackie brigs a lot of emotion to those scenes and you can really feel the love he has for his pet, which makes their journey together so heartbreaking. 

While actresses Ally Ioannides, and Katie Aselton, who plays Dennis’s wife, bring a lot to their limited roles, the film is really a two-hander between Jamie Doran and Anthony Mackie. Both actors are excellent at playing the realistic drama of the film, and yet still believable when the movie’s sci-fi plot kicks in. Doran is solid in his role as Dennis and plays the character with an emptiness that is filled through the arc of the film. The actor internalizes his character’s family issues until those feelings boil over after his daughter’s disappearance, which makes for great drama. He also has fantastic chemistry with Mackie, which is felt most at the climax of the film. 

But the movie really belongs to Mackie, and he hits it out of the park. With the exception of his great supporting work in the MCU movies, this might be Mackie’s best performance since The Hurt Locker. As Steve, Mackie brilliantly plays a tragically lost man who only finds his way after losing everything, and the actor brought great emotion and believability to the role. In the end, Synchronic is rare find, a truly moving and believable low-budget science fiction movie that packs in as much human drama as it does sci-fi elements, and features a career-defining performance from Anthony Mackie. 

Synchronic Trailer