Synchronic

This is a sci-fi thriller about two rescuers who have recently gotten caught up in several cases related to a new drug causing people to sink into other worlds after using it. Another classic motif of the sci-fi genre is packed onto the attractive mysterious theme, which the film remarkably combines with an emotional drama about the friendship of two of the main characters and their difficult problems, and with action/horror passages that amount to “good value for the money". The film could have turned out to be a stupid Hollywood b-movie, but skillful directing, a clever script (except for one crutch), the great Anthony Mackie (he gets significantly more screen time than Dornan, and it's a pity that the film doesn't connect their characters more in the story) and the absence of pathos make the film an impressive authorial work, which, despite the presence of several clichés, is original and fresh. (22/10/2019)

These two guys know what they’re doing. The joy of their films also lies a bit in finding your place in the target group of open-minded viewers who like to think about alternate realities and explore how far a film firmly anchored in its genre can go. Synchronic has an insane theme that would end up as total inanity in the hands of a lot of purely commercial Hollywood filmmakers, because they would attach importance primarily to the visual wow effect. Moorhead/Benson keep the visual effects simple, purely as a means of telling a story with a strong atmosphere and meaningful interactions between characters. And those dialogue scenes! [Sitges FF] (11/10/2019)

The first hit of this year and one of the best movies on the theme of drugs in recent times. A series of dead young people associated with a new drug on the market called Synchronic show up in a city. The drug has bizarre effects, it allows people to travel in time, but whatever happens to you there, you bring it back with you. Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan are paramedics who more or less go from apartment to apartment, and for the first half an hour, the film has a very tense, unsettling, and unpleasant atmosphere that reminded me of the cult-classi Se7en. I would have preferred if the whole film followed a similar tone, or if they showed the trips of all the dead people, but that would cost more money. Anyway the film has a solid pace, great visuals, a hallucinogenic and trippy atmosphere, and enough corpses to keep the viewer's attention. Very good! Story****, Action***, Humor>No, Violence***, Entertainment****, Music***, Visuals****, Atmosphere*****, Tension****. 8/10. (13/01/2021)

An interestingly filmed sci-fi about paramedics who, alongside the regular junkies of New Orleans, start to figure on the list of bizarre cases of severe harm/death connected with a new synthetic drug. The original topic is supported by a stifling atmosphere and solid acting performances. Directors Benson and Moorehead mainly tell the story of two pals who end up in slightly different shit creaks and the leaps in time are a clever tool used for telling us what is most important for leading a happy life. An inventive indie movie that will give fans of this genre pleasure. (17/01/2021)

A pair of paramedics (Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan) start to encounter more and more people with increasingly diverse and bizarre injuries, people who have died in strange circumstances, and the cases are linked to a new designer drug called Synchronic, which seems to pose a special kind of danger, previously unknown to the human race. As is often the case in Benson/Moorhead films, events then take an unexpected turn. This is an interesting look at one of the most classic subject matters dealt with by the science-fiction genre, and begins with a slow-building mystery, before turning into a pretty thrilling and slightly emotional movie - so at the end, you wish it was longer and would go on more. [Sitges 2019] (10/10/2019)

Benson and Moorhead are currently clear leaders for me among independent creators of genre films. I enjoy how they come up with fresh and innovative ideas, or how they overturn established rules and play with genre clichés. Synchronic is their most mainstream film so far, but they still maintain their own identity and distinctive creative handwriting - I'm not afraid that these two creators will start making films for hire. I am pleased that they are now able to recruit big names in their films like Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan, and I hope that with this film they will once again expand the ranks of their fans. People often call for original films based on original ideas and want to see some innovation and a new perspective, but often when they are faced with it, they either reject it or turn up their noses at it. Synchronic is a breath of fresh air and I haven't seen such an interesting sci-fi in a long time, which deceives you in the first half only to reveal its true colors in the second half. A fantastic concept that will leave you eager for more after it ends - to explore more aspects and possibilities - but at the same time there is the power in realizing that this one trip is sufficient and satisfying. Everything is underscored by a well-executed finale with a beautiful emotional touch. Joy! (29/12/2019)