Advertisement

Movies & TV TIFF 2019

TIFF review: Synchronic

SYNCHRONIC SPEC D: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead. U.S. 101 min. Sep 9, 5 pm, Scotiabank 12 Sep 13, 6 pm, Ryerson. Rating: NNN


The new film from Benson & Moorhead – the gleeful genre-benders behind Resolution, Spring and The Endless – splices their trippy DNA into a crime procedural, following two paramedics (Anthony Mackie, Jamie Dornan) who keep getting called to bizarre death scenes, all of which appear to involve the eponymous designer drug. That’s how it starts, anyway. 

Where Synchronic ends up is somewhere very different, and how it gets there is a wildly unpredictable path, and I’m pretty sure Benson (who also writes) and Moorhead (who also shoots) don’t want me to divulge any of its twists and shifts. (It’s also likely to be their most divisive film to date, mainly because a mainstream audience won’t know how to take the thing it becomes in its second half.)

I gave myself over to the ride, trusting the filmmakers and actors to find a coherent through-line, and I’m pretty sure it worked out for the best. 

Advertisement

Exclusive content and events straight to your inbox

Subscribe to our Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

By signing up, I agree to receive emails from Now Toronto and to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Recently Posted