Since debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last year, it feels like we’ve been waiting for Synchronic‘s release for a very long time. Synchronic is the lastest from indie filmmaking duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, previously responsible for—in my humble opinion—some of the best genre-bending and mind-bending films of the last decade, namely Resolution, Spring, and The Endless. Finally, the wait is over and Well Go USA has released the Synchronic trailer, poster, and a firm release date of October 23rd for theaters and drive-ins. No video on demand date has been confirmed yet.
For the first time, Benson and Moorhead have cast two well-known leads in Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan. Mackie became a household name with his portrayal of Sam Wilson/Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Dornan for the Fifty Shades saga. Both, however, have a long filmography that transcends those blockbusters, and it will be interesting to see what they can bring to the unique storytelling style of Benson and Moorhead. The supporting cast includes Katie Aselton and Ally Ioannides.
To the plot! Not to give away too much, but the movie centers around New Orleans paramedics and longtime best friends Steve (Anthony Mackie) and Dennis (Jamie Dornan) who are called to a series of bizarre, gruesome accidents. They chalk it up to the mysterious new party drug found at the scene, but after Dennis’s oldest daughter suddenly disappears, Steve stumbles upon a terrifying truth about the supposed psychedelic that will challenge everything he knows about reality—and the flow of time itself.
If Synchronic is anywhere near the quality of the pair’s previous outings, then we should be in for a mind-bending treat. Hopefully, the move to a slightly more mainstream effort doesn’t dilute the signature character-driven intensity and creeping weirdness that is what makes their movies so effective. Take a look at the official Synchronic trailer below.
Synchronic will be in theaters & drive-Ins on October 23rd.