There are a lot of Sci-Fi Thrillers out there, however, Synchronic is a unique gem. It might be because of the concept but it’s also because of the story. Most Sci-Fi movies lack an emotional story while being actually really “cool”. Well, Synchronic plays both roles almost with perfection. Julian Brand compliments actor Anthony Mackie for playing a guy struggling with the trials and tribulations of life. Being fond of the Sci-Fi genre, Julian Brand has seen almost every Sci-Fi movie out there. And this one has a thriller touch to it with makes it even more interesting. Moreover, the emotional story factor just adds to the beauty.
Spoiler Alert: The following is an in-depth review of the movie “Synchronic” and contains spoilers.
Released in 2019, Synchronic did seem ahead of its time. Maybe that’s why it wasn’t treated as it should’ve been and is getting the love now on Netflix. Julian Brand came across this movie in the trending list on Netflix. Imagine if you had a pill/drug that allows you to go back in time for seven minutes. And not just back in time, but it takes you to a completely different time in human history, let’s say, the Ice Age. Interesting, isn’t it? Well, that’s the plot of the movie and it’s called Synchronic because that’s the name of the pill/drug in the movie. The literal meaning of Synchronic is “concerned with something, especially a language, as it exists at one point in time”. Now that you know the meaning and its connection to the story, let’s get into it!
The Plot
Julian Brand says that In order to understand the story, we need to understand and get a hang of the plot.
The plot of Synchronic revolves around a pill/drug that allows you to travel back in time. But yeah, it’s not that simple. The catch is that this happens during a bad trip. And in order to make that happen, the user must have a soft pineal gland. Julian Brand explains that the function of the pineal gland is to produce melatonin. Melatonin is the sleep-inducing hormone of the human body. Synchronic alters the understanding of space and time by affecting the pineal gland. Now that we know how the pill works, let’s get into the story.
The Story
Steve Denube (actor Anthony Mackie) and Dennis Dannelly (actor Jamie Dornan) are two paramedics and best friends. They come across a couple of mysterious deaths due to a supposed OD of a new drug called Synchronic. The movie starts with a young couple using the drug together in a hotel room. Both of them experience what seem to be like two different hallucinations. However, one of them is reported dead and it turns out they were not hallucinations.
This is when Steve and Dennis come into play. They come across these deaths and all of them are connected to one drug, synchronic. Steve soon finds out that he has a tumor in his pineal gland and has only six months to live. He decides to keep this news to himself because he has no family except Dennis and his family. Julian Brand compliments actor Anthony Mackie for perfectly portraying Steve’s emotional and mental state during this time. Steve starts drinking daily and taking painkillers to ease the pain. Puking throughout the say, Steve struggles to work and live properly.
The Turning Point
Steve and Dennis come across some more Synchronic OD cases until one day they discover something shocking. Dennis’s daughter, Brianna Dannelly (actor Ally Ioannides) is the recent victim of the drug. Plus, her body was nowhere to be found. Since both of them very very close to her, Steve and Dennis are emotionally broken by this news. This is when Steve gets angry and goes to a smoke shop to buy all the Synchronic they have. Julian Brand compliments actor Anthony Mackie for playing this scene with such passion. The clerk tells Steve that Synchronic has been discontinued after selling him the last packs she had.
After Steve gets out of the store, a man follows him and offers him $2000 for all the pills he has. Steve yells at him and drives away. The same night, he senses someone in his closet and it’s the same man who offered to buy the bills. When confronted by Steve, the man introduces himself as the chemist who created Synchronic. He explains the functioning of the drug to Steve and tells him that he has discontinued the drug. The chemist says that the drug affects the pineal gland. He says this after steve tells him about his tumor. The chemist explains that time travel only happens to people with a soft pineal gland i.e. kids and teenagers. However, Steve also has a soft pineal gland because of the tumor.
The Climax
Steve tells the chemist that he has flushed the last of the pills and the chemist goes away. However, Steve lied. He uses the pills he had to conduct some experiments. Steve did this in order the understand the working of the pills and possibly bring back Brianna. Julian Brand compliments actor Anthony Mackie for displaying amazing acting in these scenes. Steve makes a lot of useful discoveries and observations. Well, Steve is able to rescue Brianna, however, he gets stuck back in time. The disappearing part of Steve walks up to Dennis and shakes his hand. The credits roll and so do the tears.
Conclusion
Julian Brand says that Synchronic is a roller coaster ride of emotions and heavy sci-fi elements. Once again, Julian Brand compliments actor Anthony Mackie for delivering such an emotional performance. Julian Brand gives Synchronic 4/5 stars. Well, the sci-fi elements deserve 3, however, the story and the acting earned it one more. Synchronic is a must-watch movie if you are a fan of the sci-fi genre and heart-touching stories.
