Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson’s most mainstream endeavor yet is set to be released next month. Synchronic, a new feature from the directors of Spring, Resolution and The Endless, stars former Mr. Grey, Jamie Dornan and Marvel’s new Captain America, Anthony Mackie. It promises to be just as fascinating as Moorhead and Benson’s previous flicks, if this first trailer is anything to go by, however, when the film originally screened at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, critics were conflicted over comparisons to the pair’s previously stellar efforts.
Here’s an official wee synopsis for you:
“When New Orleans paramedics and longtime best friends Steve (Mackie) and Dennis (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.”
Despite the film’s theatrical release plans, co-director Moorhead has publicly asked that people avoid seeing his new joint on the big screen, posting on Instagram “we want to be very clear: at the time of writing this, we personally wouldn’t go to an indoor movie theater, so we can’t encourage you to. To us, this isn’t only about feeling safe in a theater, this is also about the scientific community indicating that enclosed spaces like movie theaters are still a hazard for spreading COVID-19 to others.”
He added “If you do go to see it in an indoor theater, please adhere to all guidelines. We love and miss the theatrical experience, so let’s work together to stop the spread of the virus. We are infinitely grateful for anyone checking out our movies, as well as everyone who has worked on them, and want all of you to remain as healthy as possible during these unprecedented times.”
Distributor Well Go USA Entertainment then swiftly responded to Moorhead’s plea for a sanity check, via Variety:
“Well Go USA has a long and valued history with our friends at Rustic Films, including future projects; we applaud them for expressing themselves and encourage the same for all the artists we work with,” the company said in a statement. “Nonetheless, we stand behind the guidelines developed by NATO for the public and theaters to follow and stay safe enjoying movies on the big screen.”
Synchronic also stars Katie Aselton and Ally Ioannides, and will be released on October 23.
Stay safe out there.