Synchronic

Synchronic

Year: 2020

Runtime: 102 min

Language: English

Echo Score: 82

Budget: $3K

Sci-FiDramaHorror

Lifelong friends and New Orleans paramedics Steve and Dennis investigate a series of bizarre incidents seemingly connected to a dangerous new drug. As they delve deeper, they discover the drug allows users to travel through time, creating paradoxes and unleashing terrifying consequences. When events turn personal, Steve must confront a horrifying truth that threatens to unravel the boundaries of reality and forces him to question everything he knows.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Synchronic (2020)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Synchronic (2020). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

21st century

The film unfolds in contemporary New Orleans with a time-travel twist. The device Synchronic lets its users jump to different eras by anchoring to objects and durations. Steve’s journey transports him to moments in Louisiana’s past—from colonial-era encounters to the Battle of New Orleans—while the present thread follows his battle with illness and a quest to find Brianna. The narrative juxtaposes modern life with radically different historical moments.

Location

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

New Orleans serves as the film's atmospheric ground; a dense, music-filled port city known for its cultural tapestry, cemeteries, and vibrant street life. The story weaves through its streets, riverfront, and park, using the city’s past and present to anchor time-travel moments. It’s a place of paradoxes where revelry and danger mingle, making it an apt stage for a sci-fi thriller that hinges on memory and history.

🗺️ Urban landscape 🎷 Jazz heritage 🏛️ Historic city

Last Updated: January 08, 2026 at 11:59

Main Characters – Synchronic (2020)

Meet the key characters of Synchronic (2020), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Steve (Anthony Mackie)

A charismatic but flawed New Orleans paramedic whose hard-partying persona masks a growing medical crisis. After a contaminated needle reveals aggressive cancer in his pineal gland, he pursues the drug Synchronic and its creator to uncover the truth behind the time-jump effects. His bold curiosity, stubbornness, and deep loyalty to Brianna drive him forward even as his health deteriorates. His willingness to sacrifice for others culminates in a selfless act during the Battle of New Orleans.

💪 Determined 🧭 Investigative ❤️ Family-focused

Dennis (Jamie Dornan)

Steve’s devoted partner whose own life is unsettled by a collapsing marriage and a tense, protective stance toward Brianna. He misreads Steve’s illness and behavior as addiction, leading to conflict and a physical confrontation between the two men. His relationship with Brianna motivates him to seek truth and safety for his family. By the end, he reconciles with Steve and supports Brianna’s return to the present.

🧭 Loyal ⚖️ Protective 🧡 Family-first

Brianna (Ally Ioannides)

Dennis’s teenage daughter who vanishes, becoming the emotional catalyst for the journey. Her disappearance drives Steve to push the limits of Synchronic and chase answers through time. While her fate remains unsettled, her presence anchors the stakes for both men and the mission to bring her back safely. Her absence also propels a reevaluation of what family means.

🧒 Curious 🔎 Persistent 🧪 Time-aware

Hawking

Steve’s dog who accompanies him through some time-traveling episodes and serves as a tether to the present. In the chaos of travel, Hawking is lost in the 1920s and cannot return with Steve, underscoring the personal costs of tampering with time.

🐶 Loyal 🧭 Time-tether

Conquistador (Walker Babington)

A historical figure encountered during Steve’s travels, symbolizing the literal immersion of modern travelers in past eras. The meeting with a conquistador underscores the film’s exploration of history as a tangible, dangerous space. This figure acts as a window into how the past interrupts the present.

⚔️ History meets present 🗺️ Time-crossing

Hunchback Looter (Bill Oberst Jr.)

A menacing looter from the era of chaos in the Battle of New Orleans who threatens Steve and Brianna. He embodies the hazards that appear when time travelers awaken violent impulses in the past. His confrontation with Steve culminates in a fatal moment that impacts the fate of the mission.

🗡️ Threatening 🧭 Time-crossing danger

Last Updated: January 08, 2026 at 11:59

Major Themes – Synchronic (2020)

Explore the central themes of Synchronic (2020), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⏳ Time Travel

Synchronic props open windows to the past, forcing characters to confront unintended consequences of changing history. Time becomes a personal experience, bending memories and reality as Steve chases answers about Brianna. The film treats time travel as both possibility and burden, showing how every jump alters relationships and fate. Ultimately, time is the canvas on which sacrifice and memory play out.

💊 Addiction

Steve’s cancer diagnosis and painkiller use ground the story in the human cost behind extraordinary abilities. The drug Synchronic is depicted as a dangerous, alluring force that promises control but exacts a price in health and ethics. The theme explores how addiction and the lure of easy fixes threaten personal judgment and relationships. Against this backdrop, characters must decide what they’re willing to sacrifice for truth and survival.

👪 Family Bonds

The film centers on the fragile ties between Steve, Dennis, and Brianna, highlighting how familial love persists under strain. Dennis’s jealousy and later reconciliation with Steve show how fear and misjudgment can fracture trust, while Brianna’s disappearance becomes a test of parental devotion. Steve’s ultimate act of self-sacrifice reframes family as a source of strength rather than a constraint. The ending emphasizes connection and shared memory over individual triumph.

Last Updated: January 08, 2026 at 11:59

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Sci-Fi Horror with High-Stakes Personal Consequences like Synchronic

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Desperate Investigations into Unexplained Phenomena like Synchronic

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Narrative Summary

The story follows a procedural structure that quickly spirals into chaos. What begins as a professional curiosity or a job-related call evolves into a deeply personal mission as the protagonists discover a connection to their own lives. The pacing is fast, driven by a chain of urgent events and close calls, building towards a climactic confrontation with the source of the mystery.

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These films share a core structure of an investigation that turns personal, creating a palpable sense of urgency and desperation. The tone is consistently suspenseful and tense, with a fast pace that mirrors the characters' frantic search for answers amidst escalating danger.

Unlock the Full Story of Synchronic

Don't stop at just watching — explore Synchronic in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Synchronic is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Synchronic Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Synchronic, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Synchronic Summary

Synchronic Timeline

Track the full timeline of Synchronic with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Synchronic Timeline

Synchronic Ending Explained

What really happened at the end of Synchronic? This detailed ending explained page breaks down final scenes, hidden clues, and alternate interpretations with expert analysis and viewer theories.

Synchronic Ending Explained

Synchronic Spoiler-Free Summary

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Synchronic Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Synchronic

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