‘Latency’

(Supplied: Walkden Entertainment)

James Croke’s technological thriller unfortunately feels like a discarded episode of Black Mirror

Latency's core idea is a strong one. It sees Sasha Luss as Hana, a professional gamer who is one of the first to receive Omnia - a new piece of technology that is said to enhance her game. As she begins to use Omnia's AI to interpret her brain activity in a bid to help her win a video game competition, Hana's grasp on reality begins to blur as she wonders whether the device is truly helping her.

Unfortunately, the film puts all of its eggs into this central idea, which inevitably grows quite tired as its Black Mirror-esque views on technology and its grasp on its users quickly runs thin. While the film does have some quality production, which helps in evoking the tone of the film, Luss struggles to convey the characters physical and emotional challenge against the Omnia device.

What results is a rather bland and tiresome look at Hana's isolation from the outside world, as she not only battles against Omnia but also her personal struggles with agoraphobia. As the film progresses, not only does Hana's reality begin to blur, but the viewers' understanding on how the Omnia device operates also does. A lot of the time, the film's mechanics feel underbaked and never truly make sense from scene to scene.

Writer and Director, James Croke, seems to have landed on an interesting thesis with Latency, however it is one that perhaps doesn't lend itself wholly to a full feature film. Long stretches of the films admittedly short run time feel as though they are there to show Hana's success with Omnia rather than the devolving state of the AI's intentions. As the film begins to unravel its story, so too does it unravel a lot of its logic. 

Alexis Ren stars as the only other real screen presence, Jen. As Hana's best friend, Jen is often seen visiting to deliver food or cook while Hana sinks herself deeper into Omnia's creeping grasp over her mind, and that is ultimately where Jen's character traits end. Her presence never truly adds to Hana's situation and does very little to give further insight into Hana's situation. She is merely there.

Eventually, as Hana's grasp on reality begins to fracture, Jen becomes more involved in the story, but it never feels like she has any impact on the film outside of being someone for Hana to interact with. This puts a lot of pressure on Luss' to carry what is admittedly a very bland film, which she does give her best crack at doing so.

It just feels like there could have been more done with the eventual climax of the film and what it does to get there. While there is some chilling imagery in the more horror-leaning elements and the film's central conceit is both timely and interesting, Croke doesn't quite craft a strong enough foundation for the film's ideas to stand upon. What results, unfortunately, is a rather bland film that while intriguing never feels truly engaging. 

Latency is available on DVD & digital, including Apple TV, Prime Video, and Google Play in Australia and New Zealand now!