Anthony Mackie takes a time-bending, mind-altering journey in the trailer for Synchronic

Filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead have made a name for themselves with films that defy genre conventions and labels and explore heady concepts about time, transformation, and obsession. Their latest film, Synchronic, is led by the starry duo of Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan, which will hopefully attract viewers to check out Benson and Moorhead’s previous films—Resolution, Spring, and The Endless.

The trailer below indicates that Synchronic offers the cerebral, grounded sci-fi we’ve come to appreciate from the filmmakers. Check it out:

Synchronic follows two paramedics who discover a peculiar psychedelic drug at the scene of a series of strange and “gruesome” accidents; as you can see, that drug has a profound affect on Mackie’s character. The trailer arrives just days after Benson and Moorhead released a joint statement with producing partner David Lawson regarding Well Go USA’s decision to release Synchronic in theaters and drive-ins on October 23:

“…We want to be very clear: at the time of writing this, we personally wouldn’t go to an indoor movie theater, so we can’t encourage you to,” reads the statement. “To us, this isn’t only about feeling safe in a theater, this is also about the scientific community indicating that enclosed spaces like movie theaters are still a hazard for spreading COVID-19 to others.”

The filmmakers added, however, that they are “very much looking forward” to attending drive-in theater showings of Synchronic next month.