#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

#TIFF19: DAY THREE – JENNIFER LOPEZ, KRISTEN STEWART, DAKOTA JOHNSON, JAMIE DORNAN, CONSTANCE WU, CHRIS EVANS, JAMIE LEE CURTIS, TAIKA WAITITI + MORE

TIFF ’19 officially has kicked into high gear and you won’t believe the star power we witnessed!

Check it out. Hover right on each album to navigate.

 

HUSTLERS – #SheInspiresMe Panel

 

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#TIFF19: Such an honour attending the #SheInspiresMe Panel with the Cast of #Hustlers including: #JenniferLopez, #ConstanceWu, #KekePalmer, #LiliReinhart + Director #LoreneScafaria. #TIFF Thank you, @Twitter! #HuaweiP30Pro

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on Sep 7, 2019 at 12:51pm PDT

 

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#TIFF19: So touched hearing #ConstanceWu talk about being inspired by other artists as she didn’t grow-up in a family of creatives. So she does it all to inspire others and give back to the world. #SheInspiresMe @ConstanceWu #TIFF #Hustlers #HuaweiP30Pro

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on Sep 7, 2019 at 12:58pm PDT

 

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#TIFF19: Hear how #JLo got rid of paps for Constance Wu, filming #Hustlers! @JLo @Elevation_Pics @ConstanceWu #TIFF #JenniferLopez #ConstanceWu #SheInspiresMe #HuaweiP30Pro

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on Sep 7, 2019 at 12:56pm PDT

 

SEBERG – Press Stop

 

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#TIFF19: #KristenStewart winning raves for her work in #Seberg. #TIFF #KStew #HuaweiP30Pro

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on Sep 7, 2019 at 7:56am PDT

SYNCHRONIC – Press Stop

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#TIFF19 : #JamieDornan at #TIFF for #Synchrony + #EndingsBeginnings. #HuaweiP30Pro

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 7, 2019 at 9:33am PDT

 

THE FRIEND – Press Stop

 

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#TIFF19: With the Cast of #TheFriend – #DakotaJohnson, #JasonSegel, #IsabellaKai + #JakeOwen. The Cast rolled around town in #LandRovers.

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on Sep 7, 2019 at 9:09am PDT

 

COLOR OUT OF SPACE – Press Stop

 

SOUND OF METAL – Press Stop

 

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#TIFF19: My biggest crush, #RizAhmed who is at #TIFF for #SoundofMetal. Stay tuned for @davemabaldwin’s chat with him and Co-Star #OliviaCooke! Ahmed just received the #IMDb Star Meter Award!

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on Sep 7, 2019 at 8:29am PDT

 

KNIVES OUT – Press Stop

 

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#TIFF19: With the Cast of #KnivesOut – #JamieLeeCurtis, #DonJohnson (whose daughter Dakota also is at #TIFF), #ToniCollette, #KatherineLangford, #JaedenMartell, #ChristopherPlummer + #ChrisEvans. #HuaweiP30Pro

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on Sep 7, 2019 at 10:38am PDT

 

JOJO RABBIT – Press Stop

 

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#TIFF19: The Cast and Director of #JojoWabbit! With #TaikaWaititi, #StephenMerchant + #ThomasinMcKenzie. #HuaweiP30Pro

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on Sep 7, 2019 at 10:09am PDT

 

THE LIGHTHOUSE – Press Stop

 

The HFPA-Hollywood Reporter Party

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#TIFF19: Always a blast at the #HFPA #HollywoodReporter Party! So happy seeing #AnselElgort who makes me so proud! He remembered me from the first time we met when he was making his first film! Now he stars in #TIFF Gala #TheGoldfinch and next in #WestSideStory! Other awesome sightings: #MatthewGrayGubler, #IslaFisher, #JonBernthal, #AlfieAllen, #CariceVanHouten, #KeeganMichaelKey, #GaryOldman, #GeraldineViswanathan (#TIFF Rising Star) + #CatrionaBalfe! #HuaweiP30Pro

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 7, 2019 at 10:47pm PDT

Also a joy chatting again with CP24‘s Kelly Linehan this morning! Thanks for tuning-in!

Informative and fun segment Will!! We’re on Festival Street tonight and off to a film tomorrow. Hope to see you around town Handsome! You’re always in the heart of all the media excitement. pic.twitter.com/SIZEnlLlxL

— YYZ Bliss (@yyz_bliss) September 7, 2019

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)