Some say time is our greatest enemy, but it does make for great storytelling. Our fascination with it in the realm of science fiction in film usually revolves around time travel. Then there are the usual conversations that involve killing baby Hitler, because if we could only go back and change things will that truly make everything better? When it comes to time travel movies, there always seems to be that fine line that makes it either great, or confusing. “Synchronicity” attempts to walk that line, and falls on the side of, well…let’s go back first.
Jim Beale (Chad McKnight) is attempting to open up a wormhole, or a shortcut connecting two separate points in space-time (at least that is what “Star Trek” taught me). After completing his experiment, He starts having an attack to the point where he collapses. When he awakens, he meets a woman, Abby (Brianne Davis), who seems to appear out of nowhere. Not having much time to decipher what is going on, Jim must chase down his benefactor, Klaus (Michael Ironside), to convince him to keep funding his research. Jim then receives a phone call warning him not to trust Abby no matter what, which only leads to a more tangled web that has just begun to weave.
Written and directed by Jacob Gentry, who co-directed 2007’s “The Signal” which was a smart film that gained him quite a few fans. Eight years later he is back, with a movie whose world looks to be heavily influenced by “Blade Runner” with its landscapes and feel. While the locations are kept to a limited amount, the background seems to be there for effect more than anything. While looks can be important, it is what’s in the inside that counts, and that is where “Synchronicity” slips a little. The story is good enough, about a guy who travels back to the past to uncover the truth about the woman he met and what her intentions are. Where it falters is in the execution, where things get coagulated as the story progresses. While the film has its flaws, “Synchronicity” does enough to hold your interest, as it builds on the idea of love as much as time travel. With that said, not every movie can be great, and when they are not, all you want is it to be entertaining. This film fits nicely into that category, and it’s about time travel, so that’s enough for me to give it a shot.
