‘Synchronic’ Review: Anthony Mackie Shines in Mind-Bending Film
What’s left to say about Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead? The creative duo behind “The Endless” & “Spring” have already cemented themselves as indie gods and they just seem to get better. “Synchronic” is the duo’s latest effort and it was definitely one of my most anticipated films of 2020. Unfortunately, movie theater closures in Southern California made it difficult for me to see until it recently landed on Amazon.
“Synchronic” was worth the wait. Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan aren’t the two actors I think of when I think of indie sci-fi time travel movies but they both deliver some of their best work yet. Dornan is best known for his work as Christian Grey in the much-maligned “Fifty Shades” trilogy. He does a lot of work in “Synchronic” to help rebuild his brand as a strong actor. Dornan and Mackie play a pair of paramedics who are also best friends. Through their work, they notice a string of people dying in bizarre ways. Mackie’s character notices a drug named “Synchronic” at all of the crime scenes.
Without getting too much into the weeds, Mackie’s character is forced to try the drug starts leaping through time. Time travels movies are almost universally bad but Benson and Moorehead took a very interesting spin on the played-out drama and deliver something truly original. The most exciting thing about “Synchronic” is that it further proves that there are great, original ideas that can still be turned into movies. The lower budget obviously has its constraints. Not all of the VFX are amazing but Benson and Moorehead stretch their budget as much as possible. They are truly one of the most exciting filmmaking duos in the world right now.
