I Watched “Latency” And Now I Cannot Sleep

In case you missed it, the sci-fi thriller Latency will be in select theaters June 14. I got my hands on an early screener and made the horrible mistake of watching it on a night when I was home alone.

Sasha Luss in latency sits at a table with a mug and a plate. She appears tired or distressed

It was late. I was spooked. I’ve now been awake for three weeks.

Lionsgate

Let me tell you some of what happens, but without spoilers because you should see it for yourself. The film stars Sasha Luss as Hana, a “has been” pro gamer with acute agoraphobia

Sasha Luss in latency sits on the floor in a dimly lit, narrow hallway next to a closed door, appearing distressed. An unmarked box is on the floor beside her.
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Hana "escapes" the confines of her apartment by playing lots of video games, including virtual reality ones.

Sasha Luss in a striped shirt aiming a sniper rifle

This, of course, will not end well.

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Hana’s best friend and enduring support figure, Jen (played by Alexis Ren) is the only other person we properly meet.

Alexis Ren smiling up at someone, wearing a hoodie with their hair styled in two buns
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Side note: the film is being released by Lionsgate, who also did Fall, a film that caused me to drop my popcorn on the floor in fright. I’m telling you because even though they are so different, there are some eerie similarities between the two movies.

Grace Caroline Currey and Virginia Gardner, dressed in casual climbing gear, sit atop a high platform, with rope harnesses attached in the movie Fall

You’ll know when you see it.

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In Latency, Hana gets her hands on a new, unreleased technology called OMNIA. It’s some kind of electro-encephalography device that uses neuro imaging to read her thoughts before she’s even aware of them, and it can tap into every device in her home.

A person's hands place a large package marked
A person's hands place a large package marked
A person, not clearly visible, examines a white device with a glowing light taken from a black box labeled
A person, not clearly visible, examines a white device with a glowing light taken from a black box labeled

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As a video game controller it reduces her reaction time to zero. So, Hana is of course very excited about this...

Rear view of a person with long hair adjusting VR headset in a dimly lit room
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...but Jen is already worried and so am I.

Sasha Luss and Alexis Ren look up and concerned
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Unfortunately, the device starts intruding on Hana's actual thoughts in a variety of terrifying ways.

A woman with long blonde hair leans in closely towards a computer screen, focusing intently on what is displayed
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Without giving too much away, the line between Hana’s reality and imagination starts to blur as a parade of horrors pass through Hana’s apartment, eventually forcing her out of it.

Sasha Luss looks forward with an open mouth and distressed expression
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There are twists right up until the final moment, and to be honest I’m still not sure whether what happened at the end of the movie was real or if the OMNIA sucked me into Hana’s brain.

Blond person in yellow clothing is seen mid-air, seemingly falling or jumping off a building at night with a neon red "CYCLE" sign in the background amidst a cityscape

*It’s just a movie. It’s just a movie.*

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But here’s the thing - it’s not just a movie. This kind of technology is closer to reality than many of us realize. Which means the line between reality and potentially horrifying fiction is about to get way blurrier.

Sasha Luss, wrapped in a towel, gazes into a grimy mirror and touches her bloody teeth

Add AI to the mix and lord, we’re in for a ride.

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So now you understand why I can’t sleep. Latency has given me a lot to think about. You can watch the film in select theaters starting June 14. Check out the trailer here: