What to Watch This Weekend: Jakob's Wife, The Year Earth Changed, Ren & Stimpy, In The Earth, Songbird, Willy's Wonderland, Synchronic, Honest Thief

For The Return Of A Horror Icon: Jakob's Wife (Theaters and Digital)
Jakob's Wife has an old school feel, strong characters, a great balance of dark comedy and horror, and a well-paced story that has plenty to sink your teeth into.  For more information, check out the review!

For The Planet Earth Fans: The Year Earth Changed (Apple TV+)

The Year Earth Changed chronicles this strange year and the profound effect that it has had on the planet, with amazing and eerie images of this dramatic natural transformation.  For more information, check out the review!

For The 90s Kids: Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story (Vudu Free With Ads)

Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story is an insightful documentary about a show that changed all of animation, its rise and fall, and the genius and dark flaws of its creator through the unfiltered insights of those who worked on it.  For more information, check out our review!

For An Environmental Horror Fan: In The Earth (Theaters)

In The Earth is a visual and auditory trip, with an unpredictable characters, great effects, and an unsettling story that merges folk tales, science fiction, and horror.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Surprisingly Good Pandemic Drama: Songbird (Hulu)

Songbird's interesting take on a post-apocalyptic world and its stellar cast deliver a thrilling and sadly timely quarantine adventure.   For more information, check out the review!

Because You Know You Love Nic Cage: Willy's Wonderland (Redbox)

It has Nick Cage beating up animatronics.  I mean, what else do you want?  Think Five Nights At Freddy's except with more Nic Cage!

For A Genre and Time Bending Sci Fi Film: Synchronic (Netflix)

Synchronic takes you on a mind-bending time travel trip with a dark, gritty style, fantastic performances by Mackie and Dornan, and a powerful score.  For more information, check out the review!

For Those Hoping For A Fresh Start: The Honest Thief (Redbox)
The Honest Thief is classic Liam Neeson, with an interesting premise and plenty of tense, cat and mouse scenes.  For more information, check out the review!

What to Watch This Weekend: Psycho Goreman, You Will Die At Twenty, Synchronic, Alone, Like a Boss, I Used to Go Here, Cut Throat City, How to Train Your Dragon

For A Throwback Bloody Good Time: Psycho Goreman (Digital)
Psycho Goreman is an entertaining throwback to 80s and 90s shows, with an exaggerated style, intentionally noticeable costumes, and fights that definitely earn the "gore" in Goreman!  For more information, check out the review!

For A Powerful Oscar Contender: You Will Die At Twenty (Virtual Cinema)
You Will Die At Twenty is a powerful piece of cinema with some expert cinematography and a story that highlights religion, fate, and life.  For more information, check out the review!

For Genre and Time Bending Sci Fi Film: Synchronic (Digital, Redbox)

Synchronic takes you on a mind-bending time travel trip with a dark, gritty style, fantastic performances by Mackie and Dornan, and a powerful score.  For more information, check out the review!

For The Horror Fans: Alone (Digital)

Alone is a tense survival horror film with great performances by Willcox and Menchaca, a slow burning story, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing what will happen next.  For more information, check out the review!

For Those Missing Their Bestie: Like A Boss (Amazon)

Like a Boss has charismatic leading ladies, who form a strong foundation for both the funny and dramatic parts of this friendship comedy.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Blast From The Past Drama: I Used to Go Here (HBO)

I Used To Go Here is a wonderfully personal story, with an emotional performance by Gillian Jacobs, a quirky, funny cast, and a heartfelt message about life and success.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Fan of Thrillers and Tension: Cut Throat City (Netflix)

Cut Throat City has a lot more going on than meets the eye, from its complex characters, to its involved story, and wonderful dialogue, this film steals the spotlight.  For more information, check out our review!

For The Kids: How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Hulu)

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a beautifully animated movie that continues and concludes the story from the first two films.  It is fun to watch, despite its less than stellar story, and provides a fitting end to this high flying trilogy.  For more information, check out our review!

Synchronic Review: A Mind-Bending Time Travel Trip

Release date: October 23, 2020
Running time: 101 minutes
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Jamie Dornan, Katie Aselton
Directors: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead
Writer: Justin Benson

Two New Orleans paramedics' lives are ripped apart after they encounter a series of horrific deaths linked to a designer drug with bizarre, otherworldly effects.

Synchronic has a mind and time bending premise where a designer, off the shelf drug can have temporal effects.  It is a strange premise but one that leads to some very interesting science fiction scenes as people literally melt into a different time period.  And the film has an overall serious tone and gritty camera work to make this world feel dark and a little desolate.  It doesn't help that Steve (Mackie) and Dennis (Dornan) are paramedics who arrive are visiting some very run down places and tending to users of this strange synthetic drug.  The film just has this imposing weight to it that is part the subject matter of these paramedics trying to track down this drug and part the weight of time that is inherent in the story.  And this is helped along by some really powerful orchestral music that just adds to the overall tone of the film.  If you like your sci fi gritty and dark, then this movie is for you.

The film also manages to assemble a stellar cast headlined by Anthony Mackie and Jaime Dornan.  Both are fantastic as the two New Orleans paramedics and their chemistry is apparent from the first scene.  Mackie is simply phenomenal in this film, and his character has to go through a lot to try and figure out what is happening with this drug.  He is put into some inhospitable and hostile situations, and has to showcase a range of emotions for this.  Dornan is also quite good as his partner, and although he doesn't get as much screen time as Mackie, he still is able to stretch his emotional chops.

The film also has some brutal scenes and is genre bending.  It has aspects of drama, horror, and sci fi, and is reminiscent of Possessor for its dark tone and raw mentality.  And overall the time travel parts of the film are interesting, although the mechanic is a little out there.  Still, it provides the ability to visit a lot of places and also has an air of mystery as Mackie tries to uncover what is happening.  And these time travel scenes allow for some interesting CG effects that are surprisingly polished for an indie film.  

Synchronic takes you on a mind-bending time travel trip with a dark, gritty style, fantastic performances by Mackie and Dornan, and a powerful score. 

Watch it.

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Synchronic is available digitally on January 12, 2021 and on physical media January 26, 2021. 

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Interview: Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead From Synchronic, Time Bending Film w/ Aaron Mackey and Jamie Dornan

Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, directors of Synchronic discuss the film, what inspired this trippy drug time-travel film, and how they assembled this amazing cast. We also hear about where they would go if they could use Synchronic to travel to any time. So give it a watch and make sure to check out Synchronic digitally and on demand! Starring: Anthony Mackie, Jamie Dornan, Katie Aselton Directors: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead Writer: Justin Benson Synopsis: When New Orleans paramedics and longtime best friends Steve (Anthony Mackie) and Dennis (Jamie Dornan) 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.

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