‘Synchronic’ takes twists through time
One man’s treacherous timetravel tops the new DVD releases for the week of Jan. 26.
“Synchronic”: Steve (Anthony Mackie) and Dennis (Jamie Dornan) have worked together as New Orleans EMTs for decades, and as such, their flaws and their wounds sit near the surface of their friendship. Frequently hungover Steve is in his 40s and still partying; Dennis resents this, as well as his role as husband to Tara (Katie Aselton) and dad to Brianna (Ally Ionannides), who’s leaving home soon. But things shift after a bizarre, disturbing call from dispatch, wherein Steve is stabbed and they find a long serrated weapon that doesn’t seem from this day and age jammed into the wall (“Time is a lie” is also scrawled on the other side of the room, a relatable message for the quarantine era).
It’s a high-concept movie, and directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead pull it off, mostly. Although, for a movie about timing, it seems a tad ironic that the script, by writer-director Benson, feels a tad oddly paced.
But Mackie carries the weight of the film, his performance adept in regret, shame, and the space between desperation and liberation. At one point, he turns to Steve, near tears, to proclaim, in juxtaposition to his perilous journeys back in time: “The present is a miracle, bro.” It only took centuries to get there.
ALSO NEW JAN. 26
“Come Play”: A young boy (Azhy Robertson) unintentionally unleashes a monster into the world via electronic devices. Also stars Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr.
“Fatman”: An armed Cris Cringle (Mel Gibson) makes a deal with the military and faces off with an assassin hired by a child disappointed by what he found in his stocking.
“Batman: Soul of the Dragon”: Animated film follows Batman on a mission to find a missing martial arts teacher.
“Bordertown Season 1”: A Finnish city detective (Ville Virtanen) relocates his family to a small town only to encounter a series of distressing murders. In Finnish.
“Born A Champion”: An ex-Marine (Sean Patrick Flannery) takes on a jiujitsu opponent who cheated in their last match.
“The Court Jester”: The 1956 film starring Danny Kaye as a king’s jester impersonator is being released on Blu-ray for the first time in celebration of its 65th anniversary.
“Doom Patrol: The Complete Second Season”: The DC heroes return, shrunken and stuck on a toy race car track. Stars Diane Guerrero, April Bowlby and Matt Bomer.
“Princess of the Row”: A girl in foster care (Tayler Buck) escapes to find her homeless father (Edi Gathegi) with a dream to leave town together.
“Snowpiercer: The Complete First Season S1”: Post-apocalyptic series based on Bong Joon-ho’s 2013 film follows the infamous nonstop moving train’s survivors. Stars Jennifer Connelly, Daveed Diggs and Mickey Sumner.
“You: The Complete Second Season”: Now known as Will, stalker
Joe (Penn Badgley) attempts to start over in a new city with a new target, Love (Victoria Pedretti).