For the ones about to watch this film here's a few things to consider: it's a nicely shot film with an interesting storyline and good acting. Pace is slow but picks up half way through and the plot keeps you interested. You 'll encounter some inconsistencies and some massive plot holes but if you're willing to put these aside, you ll enjoy it. 7,5/10
400 Reviews
A decent Sci-Fi-Thriller that COULD have been great.
jayenglish-8353912 February 2021
This is a decent movie. And that's unfortunate because the concept here is really cool and I think with better writing and less bland and uninspired directing/cinematography, this could have turned out to be a modern sci-fi/thriller classic.
The acting from the two leads, Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan is definitely solid, especially Mackie. However unlike Mackie's character, I didn't find Dornan's to be particularly interesting nor compelling, which is disappointing considering that his character has an important connection to the heart of the story.
The visual effects are pretty great but they could have really popped more if supported by directing and cinematography that didn't look and feel as bland as it was at times.
Synchronic also has some serious issues with pacing scattered throughout the runtime which was very hard not to notice, and at times the consistency of tone just wasn't quite there. At times it's a very dark and bleak watch, then there will be scenes that are quite funny but it just didn't work as well as it sounds like it would due to the vast contrasts.
To sum it up, it's a decent movie that is quite enjoyable and gripping enough to make you care somewhat. It's just a shame that it's not what it could have been.
The acting from the two leads, Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan is definitely solid, especially Mackie. However unlike Mackie's character, I didn't find Dornan's to be particularly interesting nor compelling, which is disappointing considering that his character has an important connection to the heart of the story.
The visual effects are pretty great but they could have really popped more if supported by directing and cinematography that didn't look and feel as bland as it was at times.
Synchronic also has some serious issues with pacing scattered throughout the runtime which was very hard not to notice, and at times the consistency of tone just wasn't quite there. At times it's a very dark and bleak watch, then there will be scenes that are quite funny but it just didn't work as well as it sounds like it would due to the vast contrasts.
To sum it up, it's a decent movie that is quite enjoyable and gripping enough to make you care somewhat. It's just a shame that it's not what it could have been.
Such potential
jfo-1129115 August 2021
A brilliant idea that could have been really great. But focuses too much on the drama aspect of their normal lives as apposed to this awesome sci-fi idea, which ends up feeling more like the secondary plot. Shame.
There's also many plot holes and inconsistencies.
Really wanted to love it. Fingers crossed they'll one day do a remake and nail it.
There's also many plot holes and inconsistencies.
Really wanted to love it. Fingers crossed they'll one day do a remake and nail it.
interesting premise
SnoopyStyle19 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Steve Denube (Anthony Mackie) and Dennis Dannelly (Jamie Dornan) are best friends and paramedic partners. Dennis is married to Tara (Katie Aselton) and Brianna (Ally Ioannides) is their daughter. Steve is diagnosed with terminal cancer. The paramedics have been called to some strange deaths which involve a new synthetic drug named Synchronic. Steve goes to buy up the drug supply and discovers that it has usual temporal effects.
This has an interesting premise. It should reveal itself in a more organic flow. The story telling is a bit too messy and I am a little uncertain about the rules of this world. Also, Brianna's story is a bit muddled. This needs more clarity and more time developing the characters. It needs some better writing beyond the interesting premise.
This has an interesting premise. It should reveal itself in a more organic flow. The story telling is a bit too messy and I am a little uncertain about the rules of this world. Also, Brianna's story is a bit muddled. This needs more clarity and more time developing the characters. It needs some better writing beyond the interesting premise.
Could've done a lot more with the subject material
MoistMovies13 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The whole synthetic DMT aspect was something new and besides time travel i thought they were going to go even more weird with it.. But they didn't. And that's kind of a shame considering one of the many report people have from just normal DMT is talking to inter-dimensional beings or aliens.
I thought the scene where Mackie goes to the voodoo serimony would have been a good jumping off point for adding some more out there science fiction concepts related to DMT. The ending was very lackluster to me... a hero saves blah blah blah... I've seen that ending in 100x different ways.. fading into history to riding into the sunset..,.
The first half I was much more into it, would've been a 8/10 if i stopped there.. the end took two off for me. But thats because i found it bland and uninspired.
Would i recommend it... Not sure
A novel drug development in New Orleans.
TxMike22 March 2021
We watch lots of movies, often 5 or 6 a week. Most of them are recycled themes of one sort or another. This one, Synchronic, is mostly novel and that is refreshing. It also was filmed in and around New Orleans, a place we are very familiar with and love dearly.
A chemist has synthesized a new mind-altering drug, but its novelty is that the user doesn't just imagine they are in some sort of strange journey, they actually go there. Just as you can place the phonograph needle on any part of a record and listen to what is there, the drug causes you to be transported to any place and time, but it is mostly random.
This is all fiction of course but it is treated interestingly in this story of two paramedics, long-time friends. For one of them his teenage daughter disappears after a dose and the other takes it upon himself to buy up all remaining Synchronic and figure out a way to find her and send her back home.
The movie is very well scripted and very well made, we enjoyed it all the way through. At home on DVD from our public library.
A chemist has synthesized a new mind-altering drug, but its novelty is that the user doesn't just imagine they are in some sort of strange journey, they actually go there. Just as you can place the phonograph needle on any part of a record and listen to what is there, the drug causes you to be transported to any place and time, but it is mostly random.
This is all fiction of course but it is treated interestingly in this story of two paramedics, long-time friends. For one of them his teenage daughter disappears after a dose and the other takes it upon himself to buy up all remaining Synchronic and figure out a way to find her and send her back home.
The movie is very well scripted and very well made, we enjoyed it all the way through. At home on DVD from our public library.
Good idea, fun to watch, but ultimately let down by some illogical writing
moiravanderputt11 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
After watching the trailer my friends and I decided to watch the movie because we thought the overall idea of the story seemed interesting. The beginning of the movie started off pretty strong. I liked the use of the drug as a sort of "time travel device." The cgi and acting was decent and good enough to make the movie intriguing and engaging. I also liked some of the more philosophical thoughts explored in the movie about death and time. Although, I feel like these ideas were mostly kept on surface level and were not explored far enough.
However, some things in the movie were disappointing. Steve bringing his dog was one of the things that let my friends and I down the most. There is no logical reason for Steve to use his dog as an experiment. He could literally go to a pet store and buy a rat instead of taking his dog. Stuff like this really takes you out of the movie since it's very hard to believe that Steve would actually put his dog at risk like this.
Another thing that was disappointing was the ending sequence. While Steve is being confronted by the man with the gun, he does not check his watch once. If he had seen that he had around five seconds left he could have tried to quickly run/jump towards Brianna and the stone. Maybe Steve would have been shot while running/jumping towards Brianna. But still, it would make more sense for Steve to wamt to go back home at the risk of being shot, than to be stuck in an war zone filled with racist soldiers.
The last thing that bothered us was the handshake at the end. Steve sacrificed himself to safe Dennis' daughter, and all that Dennis does is shake his hand? These guys have been friends for over 18 years and in their last moment together they decide to shake hands? A good hug between friends could have made this ending a little better.
In the end, this movie was still enjoyable. If you like sci-fi and don't really care about plot holes, this movie is a good watch.
However, some things in the movie were disappointing. Steve bringing his dog was one of the things that let my friends and I down the most. There is no logical reason for Steve to use his dog as an experiment. He could literally go to a pet store and buy a rat instead of taking his dog. Stuff like this really takes you out of the movie since it's very hard to believe that Steve would actually put his dog at risk like this.
Another thing that was disappointing was the ending sequence. While Steve is being confronted by the man with the gun, he does not check his watch once. If he had seen that he had around five seconds left he could have tried to quickly run/jump towards Brianna and the stone. Maybe Steve would have been shot while running/jumping towards Brianna. But still, it would make more sense for Steve to wamt to go back home at the risk of being shot, than to be stuck in an war zone filled with racist soldiers.
The last thing that bothered us was the handshake at the end. Steve sacrificed himself to safe Dennis' daughter, and all that Dennis does is shake his hand? These guys have been friends for over 18 years and in their last moment together they decide to shake hands? A good hug between friends could have made this ending a little better.
In the end, this movie was still enjoyable. If you like sci-fi and don't really care about plot holes, this movie is a good watch.
Decent with stupid plot holes
rmmil15 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This film is decent, and I love "time travel" concept films in general, but there are few scenes that made no sense in the "no person would do that" kind of way, or contained too many "coincidences", which heavily impacted my ability to suspend disbelief for the remainder of it (the scenes in question happening about 1/2 way thru the film).
I haven't seen anyone else complain about this yet, so I'll rant about it here: WHY did the lead protagonist use his DOG to test if he could bring back living things? No one would do that. No one. Not if they loved their pet. He would have gone to a pet store and bought a mouse, or a snake, or anything. He wouldn't use his dog!
Also, why does this drug that seemingly randomly places people in the past (depending on where you are standing...okay?), always place them within moments of mortal danger? No one is ever just dropped in a random field, no, they are placed inches from death. A frozen Ice Age tundra with nothing for miles...but a caveman is nearby, or a 16th century swamp...with a conquistador feet away, etc., etc. This film would have you believe in the far past everyone was constantly within 7 minutes of being killed. It was all just a little "too much" for me and took me out of it.
And no one would take their darn dog!!
I haven't seen anyone else complain about this yet, so I'll rant about it here: WHY did the lead protagonist use his DOG to test if he could bring back living things? No one would do that. No one. Not if they loved their pet. He would have gone to a pet store and bought a mouse, or a snake, or anything. He wouldn't use his dog!
Also, why does this drug that seemingly randomly places people in the past (depending on where you are standing...okay?), always place them within moments of mortal danger? No one is ever just dropped in a random field, no, they are placed inches from death. A frozen Ice Age tundra with nothing for miles...but a caveman is nearby, or a 16th century swamp...with a conquistador feet away, etc., etc. This film would have you believe in the far past everyone was constantly within 7 minutes of being killed. It was all just a little "too much" for me and took me out of it.
And no one would take their darn dog!!
Solid, interesting concept
anburton-0076317 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I really liked the overall vibe and aesthetic of the movie, and thought the writing was pretty good. The time travel aspect could have been more in depth but I understand time constraints. Would have given it at least an 8 if not for the dog thing. I get it's foreshadowing for what happens to Steve but that was way more sad than just a death. Dog didn't ask to be dragged along on an experiment, and he gets left behind and fades into nothing... pretty upsetting.
Almost, but not quite.
artswan-7764218 April 2021
People want original movies and when they have it they complain
Luispei001531 March 2021
Why is it that when theres a movie with an original idea or script people complain and hate about it, because of this toxicity future writers and directors might not want to take the next step to do original ideas. Yes, the movie is not a masterpiece and sometimes it feels a bit rushed ( when Anthony M. Starts discovering how it works ) but overall it has a great concept, great actors and emotion. Just watch it and ignore the bad reviews.
Allways
nogodnomasters14 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The story centers on Steve (Anthony Mackie) who is a paramedic in New Orleans. He is treating a lot of people who are victims of the new designer drug Synchronic. He buys up the drug to prevent people from taking it. Brianna (Ally Ioannides) is the daughter of his partner. She takes the drug and disappears. The creator of the drug, awkwardly hiding in Steve's closet, explains {PLOT SPOILER} that it allows you to travel in time for 7 minutes.
The science wasn't great but the story held my interest.
Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.
The science wasn't great but the story held my interest.
Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.
Complete waste of a great concept
szgadam20 January 2021
What a disappointment.... The movie comes up with an interesting and good concept, then wastes 60-65 minutes of it's ~100 minutes playtime with an utterly meaningless drama between two, painfully superficial characters and barely spends anytime with it's interesting concept.
Most of the movie is Z-category bland drama, small part of it is an undeveloped, but good time travel concept. A massive waste.
Most of the movie is Z-category bland drama, small part of it is an undeveloped, but good time travel concept. A massive waste.
it's American dumbed down
hilarybreeze-5911823 January 2021
It was good then it wasn't; then it was good and then..., classic problem for american sci fi, DRAMA! it lost its focus; could have been an amazing time travel movie but the writing/direction kept creeping back to married life and emotional family crap! it would have been better to omit the whole family and add a "missing" girlfriend.
I find too many USA sci fi are dumbed down, over explained, convenient, meaningless messages of our future crap and this movie is a prime example of that!
The acting is great and Anthony could have held the movie alone if written for one lead instead of 2. Doran accent kept slipping back, why can't he have his native tongue for this or any movie?
I recommend this sci fi for its unique adventure but I limit myself from saying it was good, because it could have been amazing.
Einstein you little devil!
enterlexx4 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Not in this movie! (They even mention Back to the Future!)
The dog in this movie is lost in time and left behind.
I know it is a movie, but it ruined the whole movie for me.
I am all for bad stuff happening if needed, instead of all that Disney happy happy stuff, but in this case it felt really bad and unneeded
So sad, especially because the dog made the sad lonely crying sound before it finally disappeared.
The whole movie i kept hoping he would have 1 pill left and returned to save the dog. Obviously that never happened.
Too bad they can't do some reshoots anymore and change that.
If you can ignore the dog part it is a good movie.
Really it a 2 part movie, the second part being the best and getting interesting.
The dog in this movie is lost in time and left behind.
I know it is a movie, but it ruined the whole movie for me.
I am all for bad stuff happening if needed, instead of all that Disney happy happy stuff, but in this case it felt really bad and unneeded
So sad, especially because the dog made the sad lonely crying sound before it finally disappeared.
The whole movie i kept hoping he would have 1 pill left and returned to save the dog. Obviously that never happened.
Too bad they can't do some reshoots anymore and change that.
If you can ignore the dog part it is a good movie.
Really it a 2 part movie, the second part being the best and getting interesting.
Drama With Sci-Fi Elements
stevendbeard25 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I saw "Synchronic", starring Jamie Dornan-the Fifty Shades movies, The Fall_tv; Anthony Mackie-Point Blank_2019, the Falcon in the Marvel movies & tv show; Katie Aselton-Legion_tv, Our Idiot Brother and Ally Ioannides-Into the Badlands_tv, Parenthood_tv.
This is a hard movie to classify. It is basically a drama with sci_fi elements. Jamie & Anthony are paramedics working in New Orleans when they start coming across some mysterious deaths. One person is found stabbed with a sword, one is found completely burned and another is found at the bottom of an elevator shaft with his broken and scattered body parts all around him. Jamie & Anthony soon discover that all the victims had taken a new psychedelic designer drug called Synchronic-maybe there's a connection to the deaths? Katie plays Jamie's wife and Ally is his daughter. Ally turns up missing and guess what she took right before she disappeared? Anthony discovers clues that he thinks will lead him to her, but doesn't think anyone would believe him so he records what he is doing, in case it doesn't work, at least someone will know what he attempted to do. The explanation of the drugs effects is where the sci_fi elements come in and it's best if you don't know too much about it until you see the movie. The only problem I had was the ending. It left a big question.
It's rated "R" for drug content, language, violence and bloody images and has a running time of 1 hour & 36 minutes.
I would probably buy it on DVD.
An OK movie with a lot of wasted potential
dschmeding12 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I loved the first two movies by Benson and Moorhead. "Resolution" was a perfect example of how to take a miniscule budget and tell a captivating story with loads of mystery and twists and turns. "The endless" went into a similar direction, even incorporating parts of "Resolution" and mixing up genres from Thriller, Horror to Sci-Fi including a very dry humor.
"Synchronic" is a different movie but again heavily focussing on the obscure dimensional themes from the other movies. Time has always been a focus of the movies and while there was portals and strange cults before, now there is a synthetic DMT-like drug that is making the user travel through time. The main characters are two paramedics who encounter the collateral damage of the drug and get entangled with finding out what is happening with so many dead, injured or disappeared users.
The acting and cinematography is great but everything feels distant... the characters are not talking very much, show very little emotion and it feels like a cold kind of buddy movie as their relationships are unraveled... well kind of at least. While one is troubled by his disappeared teenage daughter and his relationship to his wife falling apart the other one gets diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor which leads him to investigate further into the Synchronic phenomena as he has nothing to lose now and guessing that his buddies daughters disappearance may be connected to the drug.
Now ... that is it. The drug itself opens many possibilities with time shifting, people slowly entering other times, bringing back strange items or wounds from ancient weapons. It is all beautifully done when its done... but the storytelling felt lazy to me. The introduction of the chemist who syntheticised the drug for example is one perfect example of this .. and there are many. So there are many things in how the paperthing story unfolds that feel very "Hollywood" while the real interesting aspect of how and why the drug works are ignored. Its all very superficial and in case the movie was supposed to be about the characters relationships... honestly I did not care. Everything was acted and told in such a distant way... it just passed right by me and made me wonder if the movie really was over when the screen went black.
So many possibilities and illogical decisions like a paramedic just dropping full doses of an unknown drug he is even short on to complete his "research" on it. The chemist feels like a cheap storytelling device incorporated with a crowbar just to drop him off on the sidelines immediatly. And basically the whole movie was like that. Its about two people, everything else being randomly dropped into their life and disappering... and then its hard to even care for these guys. At the end I felt like I was emotionally cheated or something. Which is disappointing as the basic premise and quality of the movie had so much potential. Its not that "Synchronic" is a boring movie but honestly there is not so much happening for all the mystery at its core.
"Synchronic" is a different movie but again heavily focussing on the obscure dimensional themes from the other movies. Time has always been a focus of the movies and while there was portals and strange cults before, now there is a synthetic DMT-like drug that is making the user travel through time. The main characters are two paramedics who encounter the collateral damage of the drug and get entangled with finding out what is happening with so many dead, injured or disappeared users.
The acting and cinematography is great but everything feels distant... the characters are not talking very much, show very little emotion and it feels like a cold kind of buddy movie as their relationships are unraveled... well kind of at least. While one is troubled by his disappeared teenage daughter and his relationship to his wife falling apart the other one gets diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor which leads him to investigate further into the Synchronic phenomena as he has nothing to lose now and guessing that his buddies daughters disappearance may be connected to the drug.
Now ... that is it. The drug itself opens many possibilities with time shifting, people slowly entering other times, bringing back strange items or wounds from ancient weapons. It is all beautifully done when its done... but the storytelling felt lazy to me. The introduction of the chemist who syntheticised the drug for example is one perfect example of this .. and there are many. So there are many things in how the paperthing story unfolds that feel very "Hollywood" while the real interesting aspect of how and why the drug works are ignored. Its all very superficial and in case the movie was supposed to be about the characters relationships... honestly I did not care. Everything was acted and told in such a distant way... it just passed right by me and made me wonder if the movie really was over when the screen went black.
So many possibilities and illogical decisions like a paramedic just dropping full doses of an unknown drug he is even short on to complete his "research" on it. The chemist feels like a cheap storytelling device incorporated with a crowbar just to drop him off on the sidelines immediatly. And basically the whole movie was like that. Its about two people, everything else being randomly dropped into their life and disappering... and then its hard to even care for these guys. At the end I felt like I was emotionally cheated or something. Which is disappointing as the basic premise and quality of the movie had so much potential. Its not that "Synchronic" is a boring movie but honestly there is not so much happening for all the mystery at its core.
Not Everyone's Cup Of Tea, Quite Bizarre!
martimusross28 January 2021
Sychronic
Well this was a strange one, the acting was sharp, the cinematography brilliant, but the plot was quite bizarre.
If your into sci-fi and mystery then this will float your boat, otherwise it's not for you.
The ending was less than satisfactory but it is difficult to end this sort of movie.
Over-all it's a weak 6
Well this was a strange one, the acting was sharp, the cinematography brilliant, but the plot was quite bizarre.
If your into sci-fi and mystery then this will float your boat, otherwise it's not for you.
The ending was less than satisfactory but it is difficult to end this sort of movie.
Over-all it's a weak 6
Terribly Executed
evanston_dad25 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
A slam bang premise is destroyed by terrible execution in this dreary sci-fi sludge.
The most awkward set up ever finds Anthony Mackie, whose character is dying of cancer, dabbling with a drug that allows users to zip to other points in time. He wants to find the daughter of his partner and best friend, played by Jamie Dornan, who looks like he wants to be anywhere but in this movie. She took the drug, went back in time, but got stuck there, because that can happen. The exposition and drama is doled out in haphazard chunks, the film flirts with racial themes about the difference between how white people and black people view the past, nothing coheres with anything else, and to top it all off the film looks terrible, like the whole thing was smothered in colorless gravy.
Mackie tries mightily to do something, anything, with this movie, but he's let down by virtually every single other aspect of the film. Dornan comes as close to being embalmed that a human being can be without being actually embalmed. There are a couple of moments (that scene with the wooly mammoth!) that tease us with the promise of what could have been, which are mostly just cruel because of what we're actually given.
Grade: D.
The most awkward set up ever finds Anthony Mackie, whose character is dying of cancer, dabbling with a drug that allows users to zip to other points in time. He wants to find the daughter of his partner and best friend, played by Jamie Dornan, who looks like he wants to be anywhere but in this movie. She took the drug, went back in time, but got stuck there, because that can happen. The exposition and drama is doled out in haphazard chunks, the film flirts with racial themes about the difference between how white people and black people view the past, nothing coheres with anything else, and to top it all off the film looks terrible, like the whole thing was smothered in colorless gravy.
Mackie tries mightily to do something, anything, with this movie, but he's let down by virtually every single other aspect of the film. Dornan comes as close to being embalmed that a human being can be without being actually embalmed. There are a couple of moments (that scene with the wooly mammoth!) that tease us with the promise of what could have been, which are mostly just cruel because of what we're actually given.
Grade: D.
To say this movie makes you think is an understatement
bengilson14 January 2021
Hybrid
Abfabbb26 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The movie seemed like a hybrid of "What Dreams May Come"/"Limitless"/with a touch of Wachowski's ("Cloud Atlas" or "Inception"). Except it didn't deliver. Some scenes were interesting and the concept had potential, but it never fully fleshed out and unfortunately stayed at the level of an hour long TV program. The dialogue was frequently muddled, low volumes ; weird accents so that it was not relaxing to have to concentrate so hard on "hearing" what the actors were saying. I expect dialogue problems when I am watching some British shows----but not in an all English language movie. I do not have hearing or cognitive issues and found this to be a problem throughout the movie. The opening concept of the snakebite was interesting but went nowhere ; the scientist who created Synchronic was interesting but went nowhere. The examination of the Dannelly marriage is boring. Brianna needed to be more complex and sympathetic so that the rescue was intense. I knew more about/cared more about the dog than Brianna because she only had a few lines before she disappeared. The movie does give food for thought to sci fi fans and was okay to pay for a rental while stuck inside during a pandemic. BUT----it was disappointing .
7.5 for this "Buddy-Thriller-Scifi-Horror-Dramady" Movie!
FilmFlowCritics7 October 2019
There are certain topics, that a lot of film makers avoid, because either its physically to complicated to set up rules and explain them, or they fear the possible backlash. This is why it's even more refreshing to see this approach back in cinema again.
While the movie doesn't reinvent the wheel, it is an absolute joy to watch and you are not being held back from enjoying the plot by wondering about the specific mechanics about "how does this actually work?" (Without going into spoilers to much, just see it for yourself!)
Jamie Dornan and Anthony Mackie have an authentic and gripping buddy relationship and both of them should be happy to have signed up for this script. I even struggle to put this movie into a genre, because there is no "Buddy-Thriller-Scifi-Horror-Dramady" category. This movie is weird in the most positive sense of the word and should be enjoyed without reading any spoilers ahead, hence this style of review.
The budget for this movie wasn't massive, but due to a fantastic piece of cinematography work, it looks much more expensive and just beautifully well done! Yes, money is important in this industry, but here we have a stunning example what can be done with dedication and creativity!
While the movie doesn't reinvent the wheel, it is an absolute joy to watch and you are not being held back from enjoying the plot by wondering about the specific mechanics about "how does this actually work?" (Without going into spoilers to much, just see it for yourself!)
Jamie Dornan and Anthony Mackie have an authentic and gripping buddy relationship and both of them should be happy to have signed up for this script. I even struggle to put this movie into a genre, because there is no "Buddy-Thriller-Scifi-Horror-Dramady" category. This movie is weird in the most positive sense of the word and should be enjoyed without reading any spoilers ahead, hence this style of review.
The budget for this movie wasn't massive, but due to a fantastic piece of cinematography work, it looks much more expensive and just beautifully well done! Yes, money is important in this industry, but here we have a stunning example what can be done with dedication and creativity!
an all too brief history of time
ferguson-622 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Greetings again from the darkness. Innovative filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are frequent collaborators, as evidenced by such films as SPRING (2014) and THE ENDLESS (2017). Their films teeter between science-fiction, horror, fantasy, and personal drama, and this latest easily slides into the mind-bending and time-warping space they excel in ... and all without the mega-budget we've come to expect from such films (I'm looking at you INCEPTION).
The film opens on a couple sharing a motel room and what appears to be an acid trip. Strange hallucinations hit them both. We soon flip to an emergency call performed by best buddy New Orleans paramedics Steve (Anthony Mackie) and Dennis (Jamie Dornan). Their overdose victim is located in a setting where something is just a bit off, and "Time is a lie" is written on the wall. When Steve and Dennis are called to the motel of the first scene, we all start to understand something bizarre is happening.
Dennis is married to his wife Tara (Katie Aselton), who has recently given birth, and their headstrong 18 year-old daughter Brianna (Ally Ioannides) lives with them. Steve's days consist of one-night stands, more booze than any person should ingest, and time with his loyal dog Hawking (an obvious reference to the elements of time at play here). Dennis is bored and Steve is a mess, and things get worse when Steve is diagnosed with a brain tumor by his pineal gland, and Dennis's daughter Brianna disappears.
A clue to the increasingly bizarre overdose and death scenes that Steve and Dennis run into is the "Synchronic" packaging. It's a synthetic/designer drug that has dramatic and lethal effects, and a packet was found where Brianna was last seen. Steve decides to test the drug in an effort to "bring back" his friend's daughter. As Steve videos his 7 minute trips to the past, and then kindly spells out everything he discovers, we viewers are spoon fed the details that would typically require some effort. Beyond the reference to Stephen Hawking, we also get plugs for French composer Claude Debussy and a rare James Bond- Charlie Sheen joke.
Time travel has long been a fun topic for movies, and the ideas behind this one are quite promising. The only downsides are that it too obviously guides us through what's happening, and the trips back in time aren't as structured or interesting as we would hope ... although the idea of having the past be in the identical spot as the future is terrific. Benson and Moorhead are ambitious and creative filmmakers, and their shot at appealing to mainstream audiences is appreciated, as is the atmosphere and camera work. However, many of us would rather a bit more be left to our imagination.
The film opens on a couple sharing a motel room and what appears to be an acid trip. Strange hallucinations hit them both. We soon flip to an emergency call performed by best buddy New Orleans paramedics Steve (Anthony Mackie) and Dennis (Jamie Dornan). Their overdose victim is located in a setting where something is just a bit off, and "Time is a lie" is written on the wall. When Steve and Dennis are called to the motel of the first scene, we all start to understand something bizarre is happening.
Dennis is married to his wife Tara (Katie Aselton), who has recently given birth, and their headstrong 18 year-old daughter Brianna (Ally Ioannides) lives with them. Steve's days consist of one-night stands, more booze than any person should ingest, and time with his loyal dog Hawking (an obvious reference to the elements of time at play here). Dennis is bored and Steve is a mess, and things get worse when Steve is diagnosed with a brain tumor by his pineal gland, and Dennis's daughter Brianna disappears.
A clue to the increasingly bizarre overdose and death scenes that Steve and Dennis run into is the "Synchronic" packaging. It's a synthetic/designer drug that has dramatic and lethal effects, and a packet was found where Brianna was last seen. Steve decides to test the drug in an effort to "bring back" his friend's daughter. As Steve videos his 7 minute trips to the past, and then kindly spells out everything he discovers, we viewers are spoon fed the details that would typically require some effort. Beyond the reference to Stephen Hawking, we also get plugs for French composer Claude Debussy and a rare James Bond- Charlie Sheen joke.
Time travel has long been a fun topic for movies, and the ideas behind this one are quite promising. The only downsides are that it too obviously guides us through what's happening, and the trips back in time aren't as structured or interesting as we would hope ... although the idea of having the past be in the identical spot as the future is terrific. Benson and Moorhead are ambitious and creative filmmakers, and their shot at appealing to mainstream audiences is appreciated, as is the atmosphere and camera work. However, many of us would rather a bit more be left to our imagination.
Synchronic: Another dumb movie dressed as intelligent
Platypuschow22 March 2024
Plot
Two New Orleans paramedics' lives are ripped apart after they encounter a series of horrific deaths linked to a designer drug with bizarre, otherworldly effects.
Cast
Anthony "Falcon" Mackie and Jamie "Tom Hardy clone" Dornan with a random pointless cameo from Bill Oberst Jr.
Verdict
Synchronic could be placed on the shelf with Inception or Tenet. Movies I call pseudo-intellectual, films that certain movie fans will tell you that if you don't like them you didn't "Get them". Yep, I got them just fine thank you, but you have a very skew definition of intelligence if this is the bar.
Synchronic is a head ache inducing time travel film of a sort that makes the rules up as it goes along and then changes them as and when it suits it. Therefore you have a confusing, head scratching, disjointed movie that was nothing but frustrating.
The cast, fine. But the writing leaves the movie positively dead on arrival.
Rants
I despise that type of film fan, the pseudo-intellectual. "Mainstream" films are bad but this "Smart" film is perfection, then you watch said film and it's as deep as a puddle and as intelligent as a bag of farts. It's arrogance, and I want no part of it.
The Good
Decent leads
The Bad
Nonsensical plot Inconsistency laden Daft finale.
Two New Orleans paramedics' lives are ripped apart after they encounter a series of horrific deaths linked to a designer drug with bizarre, otherworldly effects.
Cast
Anthony "Falcon" Mackie and Jamie "Tom Hardy clone" Dornan with a random pointless cameo from Bill Oberst Jr.
Verdict
Synchronic could be placed on the shelf with Inception or Tenet. Movies I call pseudo-intellectual, films that certain movie fans will tell you that if you don't like them you didn't "Get them". Yep, I got them just fine thank you, but you have a very skew definition of intelligence if this is the bar.
Synchronic is a head ache inducing time travel film of a sort that makes the rules up as it goes along and then changes them as and when it suits it. Therefore you have a confusing, head scratching, disjointed movie that was nothing but frustrating.
The cast, fine. But the writing leaves the movie positively dead on arrival.
Rants
I despise that type of film fan, the pseudo-intellectual. "Mainstream" films are bad but this "Smart" film is perfection, then you watch said film and it's as deep as a puddle and as intelligent as a bag of farts. It's arrogance, and I want no part of it.
The Good
Decent leads
The Bad
Nonsensical plot Inconsistency laden Daft finale.
See also
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