#TIFF19: “SYNCHRONIC”

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Steve (Anthony Mackie) and Dennis (Jamie Dornan) are long time paramedics and best friends in New Orleans. They have been through a lot together and look out for one another. But things are starting to get strange in the city once the pair discover that a number of their calls involve a new street drug called SYNCHRONIC.

There is a lot to unpack after watching SYNCHRONIC, but the beauty of it all lies in its unpredictability and how Directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead mash together genres and styles on a dime. They all work together masterfully in unison, creating a thrilling experience that becomes exceptionally more breathless as it moves from scene to scene. The stylistic choices here are fantastic and unique, and the way some of these scenes have been composed and shot is rather remarkable. It may be a dark and gritty film, but it sure looks beautiful. Dornan is great, but Mackie is even better, giving one of the most layered and nuanced performances of his career. I just wish the Film did not spend so much time setting up the world and the stakes. It takes away from the wild chaos that ensnares the second-half!

SYNCHRONIC screens during TIFF at the following times:

Saturday September 7, 3:00pm @ Ryerson Theatre [World Premiere]
Monday September 9, 5:00pm @ Scotiabank Theatre
Friday September 13, 6:00pm @ Ryerson Theatre