Synchronic

*I must first state how much I love this poster; it's very trippy, colorful, and makes you intrigued about the film...always happy to make time for solid poster appreciation!*

Synchronic is a rare instance on Rath's Reviews where it represents a film from less than one year ago that I simply missed, but liked enough to review. I can't call it "New" because it's not (and it won't be included in the 2021 Rath Awards) so I place it under the "Retro" moniker. 

Usually these films are my fault - for some reason or another I missed them when I shouldn't have - but Synchronic is an unfortunate COVID casualty. Released during the height of the late fall/early winter surge we saw in the U.S., it was foolishly (seriously though, who makes these awful decisions?) released to theaters only during that time. I'd been willing to go to theaters earlier in the year, but that tune changed as Colorado saw increases in cases and many theaters began to shut down again. Even the directors of the film famously asked audiences to not go see the film in theaters. 

Finally, Synchronic has shifted from being awkwardly PVOD (at $15, up against much newer films) to now being able to rent. I'd consistently heard that it was a trippy sci-fi flick which is generally up my alley so I wanted to check it out. It turned out to be well worth it, though its impressiveness is somewhat overstated. 

Synchronic is set in a weirdly semi-alternate universe where everything seems a little worse off, cops are very crooked and lazy, and paramedics are fairly laissez faire as well. After a weird, Annihilation-esque opening, we're introduced to Steve (Anthony Mackie) and Dennis (Jamie Dornan). They're a couple of low-key paramedics and we follow them for the first 45 minutes as they run a series of calls with gruesome deaths. Eventually they come to find out that a synthetic drug "synchronic" is responsible. The plot sees a few more developments that forces Steve to start testing the drug but going there would be spoilery. 

"Hey kid, ya want some drugs that'll send you back to the Ice Age?!"

It was the method of time-travel that was disappointing to me and was really my only significant complaint about Synchronic. Time travel is already an unbelievable action, but often there's some sort of scientific breakthrough that can "explain" how it's possible. Something about the fact that a synthetic drug (think sativa or something) could achieve this and that the key to time travel is being sold in a New Orleans gas station felt really dumb to me. It was something I couldn't really get past even though I enjoyed the rest of the movie and I wish there had been another explanation, but hey...I guess that's where they got the "chronic" element in the title?

Aside from a really bad time travel "device", this is a really good sci-fi film. It sits squarely in the shadows of better giants, but this is also lower budget and newer directors so you have to consider that. Interstellar this is not, but it's still quality, moody sci-fi that feels unique. Once the actual time travel starts, it's very interesting, and Steve's experiments to set the "rules" of it all are both entertaining and heartbreaking to watch. Once it's pieced together, the actual theory of it all is something that will have you thinking (again, only offset by the fact that some random ass drug got you there). Our characters are multifaceted, with Mackie's Steve going on a particularly interesting journey from start to finish. Dornan fills the role of "co-star" well, but his character is given less to do (and the arc feels somewhat incomplete). It culminates in an ending that's distinctly low budget but strives for that "Nolan" moment. I found it got close to achieving it, making this directing duo of Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead one to keep an eye on. 

"Yeah man, I time travel a lot in my other job. I get to wear wings too!"

Like some of the best "small" sci-fi films, Synchronic puts high quality filmmaking on display. The special effects are stretching a budget, but otherwise the editing and pacing were strong (the movie feels lean at 102 minutes), the cinematography has its moments, and the color palette and original score set a dreary, darker mood.

Synchronic is an unfortunate casualty of this pandemic and an example for movie distributors (as I imagine that's where this got tied up) to be flexible and agile. They have been for the most part, so this is what feels like a rare - and quite good - film that had to be a sacrificial lamb of sorts. It's solid sci-fi, even if it won't really mentally stick far past a couple of weeks, but it also didn't deserve to "die" in the theaters. 

CONS

• The time travel mechanism of drugs is really dumb. It's a focal point of the film so you just have to get over it, but yeah...my least favorite aspect
• Special effects were okay
• Felt budget constrained, specifically with what time periods they decided to go back to. Other than one, most time periods were probably within 200 years of one another

PROS

• Cool concept coupled with a stylish direction. This is very solid sci-fi
• The theories and rules were fun and felt unique
• Strong central character in Mackie's Steve. Other characters are fine, but he felt to have the best arc
• Short and sweet
• Cinematography has its highlights and the original score was effective at setting the tone
• Worthwhile payoff with a "Nolan"-esque ending that hits the right marks
• Entertaining and impressive with a smaller budget and newer directors

Retro Rath's Review Score | 8/10