Paratemporal

It was good then it wasn't; then it was good and then..., classic problem for american sci fi, DRAMA! it lost its focus; could have been an amazing time travel movie but the writing/direction kept creeping back to married life and emotional family crap! it would have been better to omit the whole family and add a "missing" girlfriend. I find too many USA sci fi are dumbed down, over explained, convenient, meaningless messages of our future crap and this movie is a prime example of that! The acting is great and Anthony could have held the movie alone if written for one lead instead of 2. Doran accent kept slipping back, why can't he have his native tongue for this or any movie? I recommend this sci fi for its unique adventure but I limit myself from saying it was good, because it could have been amazing.

I hadn't even heard about this 2019 movie titled "Synchronic" before now in 2021, as I had the chance to sit down and watch it. I read the synopsis for the movie and it sounded like it could be something worthwhile watching. So I gave the movie a chance.

And yeah, "Synchronic" definitely was watchable, but it wasn't an impressive movie. The storyline was just way too generic and predictable. It felt like writer Justin Benson was opting for the easiest way for constructing a storyline for the movie. Everything was just so linear and running on auto-pilot. So I can't really claim to have been blown away by the storyline told in "Synchronic".

Actually I would say that the movie's directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead set up a whole lot of things that had potential, but ultimately they failed to bring them to fruition, and it just felt half-hearted. There definitely was potential to be found in the movie, but it was just wasted as nothing felt thoroughly explored, explained or exposed.

The acting in the movie was good, but the actors and actresses just didn't have an overwhelming amount of material to work with, so it felt like it was semi-hindered performances.

My rating of "Synchronic" lands on a very bland and mediocre five out of ten stars. The movie is good enough for a single viewing, if you enjoy linear sci-fi movies. But the contents of the storyline just were far too feeble to support more than a single viewing. "Synchronic" came and went without leaving much of any ripples in the fabric of time and space.

If you are a fan of Benson and Moorhead's previous work, you will most likely enjoy this feature too as they maintain their same storytelling style that smoothly combines fantasy, horror and comedy. And with a larger budget this time, they're able express their mind-bending stories to a greater level.

Specifically, the score and cinematography are great throughout the film and exceptional at some points. Also, both Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan deliver fantastic performances of two best friends who are struggling with their own personal obstacles.

The story itself is unique in a general sense. But within the realms of the sub-genre that it plays into, it can seem somewhat typical if you follow those types of films. However, the approach taken to portray this story is unique. For me, this separated it from other films of similar narratives and it kept me engaged with the story and the characters.

There are certain topics, that a lot of film makers avoid, because either its physically to complicated to set up rules and explain them, or they fear the possible backlash. This is why it's even more refreshing to see this approach back in cinema again.

While the movie doesn't reinvent the wheel, it is an absolute joy to watch and you are not being held back from enjoying the plot by wondering about the specific mechanics about "how does this actually work?" (Without going into spoilers to much, just see it for yourself!)

Jamie Dornan and Anthony Mackie have an authentic and gripping buddy relationship and both of them should be happy to have signed up for this script. I even struggle to put this movie into a genre, because there is no "Buddy-Thriller-Scifi-Horror-Dramady" category. This movie is weird in the most positive sense of the word and should be enjoyed without reading any spoilers ahead, hence this style of review.

The budget for this movie wasn't massive, but due to a fantastic piece of cinematography work, it looks much more expensive and just beautifully well done! Yes, money is important in this industry, but here we have a stunning example what can be done with dedication and creativity!

Interesting concept and excellent base material and acting, but the writing fumbled what could have been a very good story.