Synchronic: Film Review
I love a sci-fi and I’m a huge fan of both Jamie Dornan and Anthony Mackie but I’ve got to say that Synchronic is a classic example of me loving the idea but not the execution.
Dornan and Mackie are Dennis and Steve, two paramedics and longtime best friends who start to encounter people either dead or in a strange state during their shifts and discover it’s the result of a new designer drug in town – Synchronic. After Dennis’ teenage daughter Brianna (Ally Ioannides) goes missing, Steve makes the ultimate sacrifice and takes the drug himself – with unexpected consequences.
I had really high hopes in the beginning because I found their introductory scene, in which they investigate a crime scene, interesting and it immediately grabbed my attention and I also liked getting to know their brother-like bond, but my enjoyment disappeared fairly soon after Steve started taking Synchronic. I assume these sci-fi time-travel scenes are supposed to be the standout portion of the movie but I found them repetitive, tedious, and I mentally checked out a bit. Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead failed to bring it back for me from there. Those time travel scenes were just bonkers and I don’t think they made sense.
I actually preferred the more dramatic human side of the film, with Dennis dealing with his teenage daughter’s disappearance and the birth of his second child, while Steve, a ladies’ man and alcoholic, is processing some tragic news which he is yet to tell his best buddy about. I cared far more about that than the sci-fi scenes.
I can’t fault the actors, who do well with what they’re given, but Synchronic just didn’t work for me.
On digital platforms including Amazon, Sky, Google, Virgin, BT, Rakuten, Chili, Xbox, Curzon Home Cinema, and Showcase at Home from Friday 29th January