SYNC

SYNC transports us into an eerie future where technology is deeply connected to our consciousness. This is a time when humans have microchips implanted into their wrists. We follow Ayla (Carolina Alvarez), a bubbly influencer from New York who moves to Los Angeles after getting into a bitter fight with her friend, Hannah (IvyAnna Dennis). Ayla moves in with her former childhood friend, Devin (Tessa Markle). Devin, a tech engineer, is ready to help her old friend with her relationship issues. She introduces Ayla to a special app called SYNC, where people connect on a telepathic level. At first, everything seems pleasant between the women. Devin is able to read Ayla’s mind and goes out of her way to be especially helpful in an attempt to control her.

Ayla is having trouble with the SYNC app as her anxiety is increasing. It gets worse as she begins having repetitive nightmares. She sees Hannah in her subconscious and a woman wounded in a car accident (Kelly Lou Dennis). To deal with these issues, she takes her antidepressant medication and has sessions with her AI therapist (Helene Udy). At the same time, Ayla’s overbearing mother (Sofia Alvarez) repeatedly calls to check in on her. She lets her know that Hannah still cares and wants to reach out.

“Devin introduces Ayla to a special app called SYNC, where people connect on a telepathic level.”

Devin does her best to comfort her. It turns out she is telepathically seeing Ayla’s former friend, Hannah. Ayla desperately wants to know more about the wounded woman, but Devin refuses to give answers. After searching on social media, she learns the wounded woman is Margaret, Devin’s former roommate. Margaret keeps trying to reach her in the nightmares. She warns her about Devin’s deceitful friendship tactics. Eventually, Ayla meets her in person, where she learns the truth about Devin’s intentions and the dark side of SYNC.

SYNC is a clever neo-noir tech thriller. Markle brings a cold and enigmatic aura to Devin, which adds suspense to the spine-tingling climax. David Lee’s cinematography is eye-catching due to his effective use of color gels. The motif of pink and blue lighting evolves as the tension between Ayla and Devin escalates. These lighting techniques heighten the sterile and pristine aesthetic.

I appreciated Alvarez’s creative use of technology. The A.I. therapist was a fun reworking of Siri and Alexa, and it fleshed out Ayla’s character in a fascinating way. She incorporates questions about how technology could potentially change our natural instincts through Devin’s counterintuitive advice. Can it replace our need for companionship? Will it remove binary thinking? I hope Alvarez will explore the concepts presented in SYNC in other films. Her debut feature is worth checking out if you’re both fascinated and suspicious of today’s current usage of technology.