Directed and written by James Croke, LATENCY is his feature debut, following a short titled Shift.
Synopsis: When Hana (Sasha Luss), a professional gamer who suffers from acute agoraphobia, is asked to trial sophisticated new gaming equipment that uses AI to interpret the electrical activity of her brain, she sees an opportunity to enhance her game. As Hana and her best friend Jen (Alexis Ren) experiment with this new technology, the line between reality and Hana’s subconscious quickly blurs, and she starts to wonder if the device is helping her or serving a more sinister force.
Hana (Luss), a professional gamer, works from home and freelances, doing jobs from game testing to participating in tournaments. This type of work suits her well, as she has acute agoraphobia. She does not go out, and the only person she allows in is her close friend, Jen (Alexis Ren, The Enforcer), who helps cook meals for them and provides general moral support. Hana must catch up on her rent since her freelance jobs take time to pay. She quickly accepts testing a device that connects to her brain waves without reading the fine print. All is good and well until she hears and sees things.
The film’s story is relatively slow at the beginning until some secrets about Hana’s childhood are revealed. It is at this point that the viewer begins to learn about Hana’s past, which led to her agoraphobia, and how the new technology has tapped into those memories and emotions. Luss can thoroughly exhibit the full range of emotions from the past and how they surface in her present life.
The filmmaker has created a living space for Hana – an apartment that reflects neglect – obviously, it is not a priority for Hana. The apartment is dark, as one who lives as a gamer, without a care or concern about who from the “outside” world may look down on her.
There is a point in the film when things are no longer apparent for Hana – what world she is living in – as in swinging from one dimension to another. What is real? To say too much more would lead to spoilers, and this is best experienced as evolving slowly to see what side of reality Hana lands on.
This movie may not be the best Sci-Fi Thriller available, but it is a good start for this filmmaker. It may be one to watch by film fans who view limited sci-fi or horror films. It can be a good entry point to practice before Halloween gets here.
Running Time: 94 minutes
Source: Lionsgate