In the first few minutes of Synchronic the viewer meets two New Orléans paramedics and long time friends Steve and Dennis. The first few calls they have are to treat various people who took a new drug that causes them to hallucinate and for a few either badly harm themselves or die from the experience.
It wears on Steve (Mackie) who decides to buy up all of this drug in his town and burn it. However, a man who was in the shop behind Steve follows him out and tries to buy the small supply of the drug off him out but Steve turns him down.
Later at night Steve finds the same man hiding in a closet in his home and forces him to explain himself. The man tells Steve he made the drug and its effects bends time and causes the person who took it to time travel. However, the maker’s explanation does not sway Steve’s mind that the drug is deadly and he tells the man to leave his home empty handed which he does.
Days later when Dennis’s daughter disappears Steve decides to try the drug and see for himself if what the maker says is true. And if it is then perhaps he can bring his friend’s daughter back. Through trial and error Steve figures out he must return to the same spot he traveled to in order to return to his own time. All of which he has to do in a span of seven minutes or risk being stuck in the past.
When the film began the time shifts made me wonder if the two friends got stuck in a time loop but soon things did clear up for me and well before Steve finds the drug maker in his home. I do wonder though if Steve meant to destroy the drug and said he did why it later turns out he has a few packets left? Yet these two flaws do not take away the fact Synchronic turns out to be strangely good film that Mackie shines in.
