Synchronic

Synchronic is a 2019 American science fiction thriller film written by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, the same creators of The Endless (2016) and co-directed by the duo. The film stars Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan as two New Orleans paramedics who become embroiled in a mystery surrounding a series of seemingly unrelated deaths linked to a powerful designer drug with unforeseen and supernatural consequences. The film opens with two paramedics, Steve Walker (Anthony Mackie) and Dennis Lamb (Jamie Dornan), colleagues and close friends, attending to a bizarre medical emergency involving a young victim in New Orleans. This event appears to be an isolated incident, but as more cases involving the same mysterious substance arise, Steve and Dennis become intrigued by the peculiar nature of these occurrences. As the cases escalate, Steve and Dennis find themselves caught up in a web of interconnected narratives, which gradually reveal a deeper conspiracy related to the sinister origins of the designer drug, known as 'Synchronic'. Initially marketed as a party substance that induces intense and shared experiences, users report encounters with visions, alternate realities, and eerie coincidences. Upon closer inspection, the paramedics begin to realize that the experiences are more sinister in nature, leading some users into realms where time, space, and causality are manipulated by forces not fully understood. While their professional and personal lives begin to unravel due to the relentless demands of their high-stress job, Steve and Dennis are confronted with increasingly bizarre events and visions, further blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. They become driven to understand the connection between this enigmatic substance and an uncanny phenomenon that transcends their conventional comprehension of the natural world. One particular case involving a young father sets off a chain reaction, revealing that Steve's son had unknowingly consumed Synchronic on his birthday and died subsequently in a tragic accident. Dennis shares a similarly intense loss with Steve, where a close friend had died under similar circumstances shortly after using Synchronic. Their mutual understanding now deepens, as each begins to see that their lives were connected in unforeseen and unsettling ways. Through their meticulous search for clues and answers, the paramedics uncover that the designers of Synchronic are experimenting with manipulating time, reality, and causality. These alterations seem to be interconnected, blurring the boundaries between past, present, and future events in complex and sometimes inexplicable ways. As Steve delves deeper into this world to rescue his lost loved ones, Dennis finds himself increasingly isolated and disconnected from reality, with Steve struggling to hold on to what is real. As they push forward, the stakes become increasingly high, with Steve and Dennis now aware of the devastating cost of their pursuit. They start questioning whether their relentless quest is worth the destruction it's having on their own lives and their understanding of reality. They come face to face with the masterminds behind Synchronic's creation and realize the true scope of the catastrophic implications, as the film hurtles towards its tragic and disquieting conclusion. The film is a cerebral and unsettling exploration of themes that often feel unexplored in mainstream science fiction. Through an atmospheric and immersive cinematic experience, Synchronic propels viewers into an unsettling world that defies conventional explanations, forcing an audience to question their understanding of time, reality, and human existence. Ultimately, the film provides a haunting commentary on the unpredictable and often dark implications of human obsession and the blurring of lines between reality and the unknown.