2020 has obviously been an atypical year for movie releases, with several of the highly anticipated blockbusters delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, smaller projects that would normally fly under the radar now have a window of opportunity where they can potentially stand out and find an audience. One such movie looking to make a splash is the new drama Synchronic, the latest from directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead. The film premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, but it's only now being released to the general public. Synchronic is an interesting, if standard, drama that gets by on the strength of Anthony Mackie's performance and a strong third act.

Synchronic follows Steve Denube (Mackie) and Dennis Dannelly (Jamie Dornan), two paramedics who are longtime friends. While on the job, Steve notices a number of calls the two answer have a common link: the designer drug Synchronic, which allows users to literally transport to another point in time. Around the same time Dennis' daughter Brianna (Ally Ioannides) goes missing after taking Synchronic, Steve is diagnosed with a terminal illness, forcing him to change his perspective on life. With the (potentially) limited time he has left, Steve takes it upon himself to find Brianna and bring her home. But doing so means experimenting with Synchronic himself.

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Jamie Dornan and Anthony Mackie in Synchronic
Jamie Dornan and Anthony Mackie in Synchronic

The Synchronic script, written by Benson, takes a little while to get going. At first, the story is a bit slow-moving, as it attempts to establish the characters and the world. While it's appreciated Synchronic tries to take its time to build up the narrative, it doesn't always do so in a compelling way. However, once the central conflict is set up and it's clear what the movie is about in terms of plot, it becomes engaging as Steve conducts his Synchronic tests and looks to save Brianna. Benson does resort to some manipulative tropes in order to get an emotional response out of the viewer, but it's still fairly effective - to the point where viewers will be interested to see if Steve is successful in his quest or not.

It's unlikely Synchronic would have worked as much as it does without Mackie's involvement. He's the star here, channeling his natural charisma and talent to get audiences invested in Steve. The performance is very dependent on Mackie's dramatic chops, but there's room for his sense of humor to shine through as well, making Steve more of a well-rounded character. The other characters in the screenplay aren't as fleshed out. Dornan's Dennis is a stereotypical "dude in a relationship" (Steve's words) who's grown somewhat disenchanted with marriage and Ally is a moody, distant teenager eager to move out on her own. They're very thinly-drawn, which negatively impacts how much viewers will connect with them. The actors make the most of the material they're given to work with, but outside of Mackie, they don't have a whole lot to do.

Anthony Mackie Synchronic
Anthony Mackie in Synchronic

Benson and Moorhead were definitely working with a smaller budget on Synchronic, but the duo stretches their resources as far as they can go, giving the film some nice visuals. In particular, the sequences where characters use Synchronic and travel through time are well-constructed with good effects work and production design. While Synchronic isn't a must-see for its spectacle, viewers will likely appreciate the effort that went into making sure the movie looks as cinematic as possible. It may not present anything audiences haven't seen before from a technical filmmaking perspective, but it's impressive what the directors were able to achieve and it'd be interesting to see what they could do on a larger canvas.

Synchronic is unlikely to go down as one of 2020's best films, though it can still be a fascinating drama with an intriguing hook. Whether or not it's worth making the trip out to the theater to see given the circumstances is debatable, however. Even those who are die-hard fans of Mackie or the directors' previous work would likely be better served waiting until Synchronic is available on-demand, where it can safely be watched from home. The film is compelling in spots, but it isn't something that demands to be seen on the big screen.

More: Watch the Synchronic Trailer

Synchronic is now playing in U.S. theaters and drive-ins. It runs 96 minutes and is rated R for drug content and language throughout, and for some violent/bloody images.

Let us know what you thought of the film in the comments!

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