The wild results of shows like The Last of Us and Fallout proves that video game adaptations are all the rage correct now. People appreciate to escape into digital worlds — even bleak, post-apocalyptic ones. But what takes place when that line amongst reality and fiction begins to blur? What takes place when your life becomes just as terrifying as what you are playing — when it becomes a thing you can not escape even immediately after you place down the controller and energy off the console? That’s the query Latency, written and directed by James Croke, poses.

What Is ‘Latency’ About?

Latency is a lean film in terms of each cast and setting, revolving about only two key characters — protagonist Hana (Sasha Luss) and her very best buddy, Jen (Alexis Ren) — and taking location solely in Hana’s apartment. The catalyst comes when Hana, an agoraphobic video game tester, receives a fancy new console known as Omnia, which clips onto the back of her head. Through this, Omnia promises to be in a position to register her neurological activity for a seamless gaming practical experience. Among other items, her reaction time will primarily drop to zero.

It appears as well great to be correct — and it is. Hana rapidly becomes paranoid and exhausted, fearful that Omnia may be obtaining a sinister effect on her psyche. But as a lot as she tries to distance herself from the device, Omnia refuses to go very easily, and Hana devolves into madness — a confusing and terrifying circumstance exactly where she is each victim and potentially perpetrator.

‘Latency’ Doesn’t Capitalize on the Promising Visuals and Technology It Introduces

Latency’s visuals can be exciting, and it gets off to a promising begin with a sequence exactly where we are totally immersed in the game Hana is playing, seeing her physically fighting off monsters just before it is revealed she’s testing out a new game. The style feels vaguely reminiscent of the underrated Sucker Punch, which sees Emily Browning’s character toggle amongst the genuine globe and an ultra-stylized, steampunk-esque alternate reality in her head. Unfortunately, immediately after this starting scene, the approach is hardly ever utilized once more, with only a handful of brief callbacks. This is specially disappointing contemplating the film is mostly restricted to Hana’s apartment. Instead of the confined space amping up the tension and sense of claustrophobia, it basically begins to get a small boring — a thing that could have been helped by permitting us to see the space in a distinctive light by way of the game on extra occasions.

The gaming element, in basic, appears to fall extra and extra to the wayside the additional we get into the film, which is a shame. Hana’s job as a video game tester is a fresh and intriguing thought, but we do not get to see that side of her a lot. The notion of a gaming tournament with a enormous prize pool — a single that could win Hana the rent she desperately desires — is ripe for tension, but the execution does not have you on the edge of your seat. It pulls back on its most intriguing set-ups, leaning into shallow horror tropes that do not add up to a lot.

There’s a comparable problem with the central technologies, Omnia. With current advancements in AI and VR, Omnia appears like it could essentially exist. And it is cool to watch it do its factor, like when Hana initially varieties with her thoughts. The complete calibration course of action — 11 workouts Hana will have to do, culminating in her needing to hurt herself whilst the device registers it — adds good suspense, gradually amping up the stakes whilst simultaneously generating us really feel uneasy about how realistic it is. The film manages to effectively make the activity of taking a knife to her skin so that it does not look all that wild or far-fetched. It does will need to monitor when she experiences discomfort, immediately after all.

The trouble is, that is what we’re restricted to seeing. The specificity of how this device essentially performs goes away immediately after the initial calibration course of action, and Omnia basically becomes some sleek green swirls on Hana’s computer system screen, a white clip on the back of her head, and a disembodied voice speaking saying vaguely ominous items like “Omnia is with you always” and “Omnia is a tool — it will only do what you ask of it.” Sure, there desires to be an air of mystery for the psychological thriller components to perform — for Hana to query her reality — but it nonetheless feels like a significant missed chance not to dig deeper into the fascinating intricacies of the technologies itself. The film also stops brief of exploring larger themes in earnest, barely scratching the surface of subjects like the dangers AI could bring into our globe or technology’s effect on mental wellness and socialization.

‘Latency’ Boasts a Solid Lead, But Its Central Dynamic Falls Flat

A huge aspect of Latency’s results hinges on its lead overall performance, as the majority of the film sees Hana alone interacting with Omnia and her surroundings. Luckily, Luss’ overall performance is a single of the highlights, as she is in a position to adequately hold the audience’s consideration even when she’s the only a single in the scene. Luss possesses the huge variety essential of her, swinging swiftly amongst getting paranoid and menacing, confident and cripplingly terrified.

The film also does a decent job of showcasing agoraphobia — a thing that is not frequently touched on in media. Luss believably plays an individual afflicted with this anxiousness disorder, her worry when there’s a delivery man at the door palpable. The film is respectful in its depiction of agoraphobia as effectively, taking it seriously and treating it like the paralyzing situation it can be. It’s refreshing to see Jen perform to actually comprehend and be there for Hana, accepting her limitations, supporting her by coming more than and cooking meals, and gently nudging her in the path of healing.

While this is sweet to see, however, the dynamic amongst them is generally hollow. There is loads of prospective there — specially with the truth that Hana is frequently known as a “has-been,” whereas it is implied Jen has extra social reputation now — but that is never ever delved into or explored, nor is their previous touched on in any meaningful way. Instead, it is restricted to banter that falls flat and inauthentic. It does not enable that Ren is not a especially powerful actor — a thing that is painfully, awkwardly clear alongside Luss — and is never ever in a position to sell her cliché lines or underdeveloped, stereotypical very best buddy function.

‘Latency’ Chooses Style Over Substance

There is a good twist at the finish of the film that somewhat weaves anything with each other, proficiently uniting Hana’s previous and present. The way the general plot ties up is clever, although some of the imagery is never ever explained in any satisfying manner. As a outcome, some of the scares look to be there purely for shock worth or mainly because they appear cool with no essentially contributing to the character improvement or story. An overreliance on nightmares and repetitive flashbacks add to this notion.

Latency is admirable in that it tries to do a lot with the spending budget and place restraints — and from time to time succeeds, specially when it comes to its lead overall performance and some of the technologies and visuals. Unfortunately, it focuses on the incorrect elements and appears to be operating against its notion rather of with it. The film has the pieces and prospective to be a brilliant character study and peek into a new, thrilling globe of technologies and gaming. It’s just as well terrible it forgoes this route to develop into a middling, vague psychological thriller rather.

Overview

Latency

Despite a powerful central overall performance from Sasha Luss, ‘Latency’ performs against its personal notion and falls into cliché thriller tropes.

Pros

• Sasha Luss provides a powerful overall performance, carrying the film alone for extended stretches of time.
• The film shines a light on agoraphobia and handles it respectfully.
• The technologies at its center is intriguing and realistic.

Cons

• The central connection amongst Hana and Jen feels shallow and inauthentic.
• The film doesn?t lean into its most intriguing ideas, rather spending time on vague, cliché tropes.
• The film raises concerns about AI and technologies?s roles in our lives but doesn?t engage with them in a meaningful way.

Latency comes to theaters in the U.S. on June 14. Click beneath for showtimes close to you.

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