Synchronic

<i>Synchronic</i> is the most conventional, "mainstream" movie Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson have made to-date and unfortunately that's a bit of a step back.

They're previous outings, especially their slow burn low-budget <i>Resolution</i> and the fantastic <i>The Endless</i>, are mind benders that slowly unwind the respective film's underlying mystery. The astute viewer can figure out what's happening in this film's surreal prologue.

And just in case you still can't figure it out, there's a bit too much exposition later on to hammer it home.

Anthony Mackie is excellent. It's hard to not subconsciously see Marvel's Falcon, but overall he is an effective dramatic lead. The chemistry with fellow EMT Jamie Dorn is believable and authentic and adds poignancy to the films more dramatic moments.

They visit some well crafted scenes where they are called in as EMT's, and their weary "been here, done that " banter is effective.

While the last act is WAY too formulaic, overall it's an entertaining flick, and if I hadn't seen their previous outings, I probably would have enjoyed it more.

P.S. Anybody catch the Andrew Garland <i>Annihilation</i> synths in both the beginning and end?

With every film they make, Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson refine their genre-bending, unapologetically cerebral style, and 'Synchronic' is no exception. While it does feel like a smaller step forward in terms of ambition, it isn't a waste of time. Even if they only pull at an interesting thread and don't fully unravel it, it's still more unique than most other genre movies you'll see.

• Jake Watt

Read Jake's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-synchronic-a-time-tripping-sci-fi-drama