What Anthony Mackie And Jamie Dornan Want You To Know About Their New Movie - Exclusive

Hollywood staples Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan are headed to the silver screen to deliver Synchronic — a thought-provoking, genre-bending sci-fi film that centers around a mysterious drug called Synchronic and its catastrophic implications. Instead of implementing the usual rinse-and-repeat drug tropes, however, the movie puts an entirely new spin on the concept. In a sci-fi-less world, drugs typically alter the reality of the person taking them — but in Synchronic, the designer drug warps reality itself, distorting the concept of linear time as we've come to know it.

While directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead finished Synchronic before the COVID-19 pandemic reared its ugly head, the notion of what people do with their short time on Earth is one that resonates universally during these unprecedented times. Honing in on EMT best friends Steve Denube (Mackie) and Dennis Dannelly (Dornan) as the protagonists certainly doesn't hurt either. Steve in particular is a hero both in his profession and personal plight to uncover the truth about the drug that's causing teenagers to disappear. 

Looper spoke with Mackie and Dornan in an exclusive interview, during which they revealed everything fans need to know about Synchronic.

When asked what he most wants fans to get out of the film, Dornan said, "Escapism is a big part of it, and there [are] a lot of big ideas in there and big concepts, but I think they're delivered in a way that — they actually open you up, [and] they get you thinking about the bigger picture." 

Fans should definitely prepare to contemplate their place in the universe for at least an hour after the film ends. And let's be real: Synchronic should sufficiently fulfill any college philosophy requirements. Dornan continued, "There's much more to it than a usual sci-fi movie for [your] money, I think. I think these characters are really grounded and relatable — and that's at the core of the movie. And I think if they weren't, the movie wouldn't work — and I think people will very much go on this journey with them and feel the pain that they feel. So hopefully, they get way more out of it than they would from a usual sci-fi movie expectation." 

Rendering Mackie speechless with his remarks, Dornan noted, "He agrees." Mackie concurred, saying, "You crushed that."

Explaining what drew him to his character, Mackie revealed, "Well, I really just wanted to do something unique and cool. I feel like with this character, the idea of fate catching up with him, the idea of how much time you've wasted, not achieving what you want to achieve, catches up with him. So that's something that's always present in my life." The actor elaborated, "I don't think I'm a fatalist, but I definitely believe in the idea that I have to do everything I can with this day. 'Cause I don't know if I'm going to have tomorrow." That's something most people can relate to right now, and the film offers some introspection that people can use in their own lives.

Synchronic will be released in select theaters on Friday, October 23, then will arrive on video on demand in January 2021.