Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead have built their reputation as some of the most inventive filmmakers currently working in Hollywood, consistently leveraging shoestring budgets to produce mind-bending genre films, such as The Endless and Something in the Dirt. Their ability to weave high-concept science fiction with grounded human drama did not go unnoticed, and in recent years, Marvel Studios quickly enlisted the duo to elevate some of its most ambitious television projects. Benson and Moorhead were behind the camera for what is arguably the best episode of Moon Knight, “Summon the Suit,” and were instrumental in navigating the complex narrative of Loki‘s second season. Their most significant contribution to the MCU, however, came when they were tasked with spearheading the creative overhaul of Daredevil: Born Again, a move that realigned the series with the beloved continuity of the Netflix era.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Amidst Benson and Moorhead’s high-profile success, one of their most unique films has finally made a quiet return to a major streaming platform. That film is 2020’s Synchronic, which stars the MCU’s own Captain America, Anthony Mackie. The compelling sci-fi thriller originally premiered on Netflix in the United States on April 16, 2021, where it found a significant audience before its standard licensing window expired, leading to its removal from the platform in April 2024. Now, without any of the fanfare that typically accompanies a major title, the streamer has re-added the movie to its digital library.
Synchronic follows two New Orleans paramedics, Steve (Mackie) and Dennis (Jamie Dornan), whose lives are torn apart when they begin encountering a series of gruesome and inexplicable deaths. They soon discover the incidents are linked to a new designer drug that has reality-altering effects, sending its users on a dangerous and unpredictable journey.
You Should Definitely Watch Synchronic
What makes Synchronic a must-watch is its intelligent approach to the well-worn concept of time travel. The film’s central premise revolves around a synthetic drug that allows its user to physically travel into the past, but with a specific set of rules. The location where the pill is ingested dictates the historical point to which the user travels, creating a temporal link to whatever happened on that exact spot centuries or millennia ago. Benson and Moorhead expertly build their narrative around these constraints, revealing the mechanics of the drug organically as the characters experiment with its effects. In addition, the story avoids genre tropes by focusing on the human consequences of this discovery, turning what could have been a simple sci-fi gimmick into a tense exploration of mortality, regret, and the bonds of friendship.
Synchronic serves as a clear showcase for the creative instincts that would later make the directors a perfect fit for Marvel’s more complex narratives. Their early experimentation with intricate temporal mechanics and character-driven stakes in Synchronic undoubtedly prepared them for the challenge of helming the time-bending second season of Loki. Beyond the sharp direction, Synchronic is anchored by what is arguably one of Anthony Mackie’s career-best performances. As Steve, a paramedic grappling with a terminal brain tumor diagnosis, Mackie delivers a deeply moving portrayal of a man who has lost all hope for his future, only to find a dangerous new purpose in the present. It is a compelling performance that elevates the entire film, making Synchronic an essential watch for any fans of the actor.
Synchronic is now available on Netflix.
What is your favorite movie from directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Image Courtesy of Netflix -
Image courtesy of Valve -
Image Courtesy of Netflix
