TL;DR – Latency is a film that explores an exciting topic but feels more defined by its limitations than what it was trying to achieve.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was sent a screener of this film.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

Latency Review –

Today, we are looking at a film that explores the interface between biology and technology, which is probably one of the significant issues that will impact people in the not-so-distant future. This is the kind of science fiction that we have seen a lot of in the last couple of years but with more of a video game lean to it. Which I always find fascinating.

So, to set the scene, we open with Hana (Sasha Luss) hearing something crashing against her door when it crashes open and aggressive aliens storm in. She takes out her gun and despatches wave after wave on them until she notices one of them glitching through a wall. She likes QA work because she has agoraphobia and struggles to leave her unit with only her friend Jen (Alexis Ren) able to come inside without Hana having a breakdown. But when Hana gets a surprise package of the next Omnia headset, she has to try it out. But it is more than just a game. It is a brain-computer interface that can interface with every device in your life and learn from your brain patterns. It should give zero latency to gaming. It is revolutionary, but it also has the stink of a corporation messing where it shouldn’t.

I liked that this movie explores how integral, yet underappreciated, QA staff are in the video games industry. They tend to get the brunt of gamer rage yet are generally paid peanuts. When it comes to the narrative, Latency is working more on vibes than anything else, but they lean heavily enough into it that it works sometimes. In that space, there are a couple of visual gags that work really well in the space. Also, the exploration of how technology could negatively affect people with mental health issues. This is an issue that has not gotten the exploration that it is due given the prevalence in the world today.

One of the main issues of the film is its presentation. I am sure that keeping Hana in one house with all the windows and blinds closed was a deliberate choice to make her feel closed up and locked away in her home. The outcome of this is that the entire film feels dingy and well dull from a cinematography perspective, bar the one or two places where they play with the light successfully. You spend the whole movie just wanting one person to open a window. This is not helped by aspects of the narrative, such as the fact that we never see what game she is playing out of that opening sequence, so you become disconnected from what is going on. Then, there were matters of decomposition that everyone is seemingly ignoring. Unfortunately, with such a small cast and one central location, you had nowhere to hide, and that just compounded things.     

In the end, do we recommend Latency? Unfortunately, no. While it has its moments, and it is an interesting topic to explore, it unfortunately felt more defined by its limitations that what it was trying to achieve. If you liked Latency, we would recommend to you Upgrade.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Have you watched Latency?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 


Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Latency
Directed by – James Croke
Written by – James Croke
Music by – J-Punch
Cinematography by – Wych Kaos
Edited by – Thunchanok Suthanintr
Production/Distribution Companies – Lionsgate, Grindstone Entertainment & Eagle Entertainment
Starring – Sasha Luss & Alexis Ren with Chloe Schwank, Margarita Bakhvalova, Ava Caryofyllis, Daria Skrygina, Robert Colbey, Harlee Timms & Edward Frame
Rating – Around an Australia: M;