WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
The ability to bend time. A fantastical thought that, if in facing the consequences of wrong choices or undesired outcomes, we could go back and change those decisions and make things better. A way to avoid mistakes already made and effectively erase them, effectively rewriting history. Sometimes, however, the search for time travel is to simply prove it can be done. Haggard but driven physicist Jim Beale (Chad McKnight) along with his team, Chuck (AJ Bowen) and Matty (Scott Poythress), have reached a critical juncture in their experiments with the concept. With funding from an unscrupulous and shady benefactor, Klaus Meisner (Michael Ironside), running out and their own hesitations and nerves frayed, the final attempt to create a fold in space-time commences.
But what seems like another failure only pushes Jim to the brink, and with that the successful creation of a window in space-time which reveals an object from the future, a rare flower. Knowing its present-day equivalent is the only means to prove that the machine has actually worked, Jim embarks on a mission to locate it, only to come upon an enigmatic woman named Abby (Brianne Davis) who captures his attention and lures him into a relationship less than ideal for what he is aiming to accomplish. Fearing it’s the secrets to his experiment’s success she is after, Jim utilizes the wormhole to go back and change events. But, the chain of events and feelings for Abby revealed illustrate that disturbing time can have radical and dangerous ramifications to body, mind, and soul.
Next, my Mind:
Directing his third feature film effort, Jacob Gentry, who also co-wrote the story, takes aim to create an atmosphere, as the film’s IMDb Page indicates, reminiscent of classic sci-fi noir as “Blade Runner”, “Dark City”, and “Alphaville”. And, admittedly, this effort does pull those influences into its narrative, visually moreso, with the futuristic looking city setting, the darkened tone of many scenes, and a beleaguered hero who comes to the startling revelation that everything is simply not ok despite what he initially deems is a successful and meaningful outcome to his, and the team’s, experiment. Well-paced and harboring some genuinely mind-twisting turns, the effort may not quite be in the same class as those aforementioned cinematic gems, but is by no means an unworthy view.
Anchored by a solid character-driven plot, all the primary leads add something to the overall scope. McKnight’s portrayal of a borderline obsessed then broken physicist is quite well enacted, treating the viewer to a man in the thrill of discovery, the realization of results, then the aftermath of its effects on not only him, but everyone around him. Bowen’s Chuck as the logical voice of reason and Poythress’s eccentric, quirky, yet brilliant-minded Matty both lend perspective their conundrum. Davis’s seductive Abby is a perfect foil in that one cannot determine with any certainty whether she can be trusted or not, adding needed tension to the proceedings and complicating Jim’s path. Add Ironside’s “I love playing bad guys” turn as Meisner and a decidedly eclectic soundtrack, the total package is present here.
Overall, “Synchronicity” effectively presents an independent venture into the amalgamation of sci-fi, thriller, and noir-based mystery that deserves a look.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
