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During this year’s award season, Jacob Elordi gave viewers a new perspective on the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla. Just weeks later, he kicks off the new year with another unexpected performance as a troubled man on the road in the crime thriller He Went That Way.
He Went That Way recounts the true story of an animal trainer’s road trip with a dangerous man. Jim (Zachary Quinto) is in a hurry to get across the country down Route 66 to get his chimp, Spanky, to his next adventure in Chicago when he meets Bobby (Elordi). Bobby’s car broke down in Death Valley, and he needs to get back to his girlfriend in Michigan—so Jim offers him a ride. But they don’t get too far into their trip before Jim discovers that Bobby isn’t just a mild-mannered college kid; he’s unstable and dangerous.
The two men and a chimp make their way across the country, past the neon lights of roadside motels, stopping at diners and dance halls along the way. But this isn’t just the story of a couple of guys on a cross-country adventure; it’s the story of two desperate men trying to find their way. Jim is trying to figure out how to make ends meet after Spanky’s popular television show was canceled. He’s quiet and awkward and soft-spoken—a mild-mannered guy who might be a little too trusting. Bobby, meanwhile, is wild and outspoken with a big personality—a kid with a troubled childhood who grew into a dangerous man. He’s temperamental and more than a little unhinged, his behavior often erratic. But there’s something else there, too—some fears and insecurities that make him lash out in a rage.
Throughout the journey, there’s a growing tension between the men. Jim is well aware that he’s traveling with a dangerous man—and though he tries to see the best in Bobby and help him get to Michigan to reconnect with his girlfriend, he knows that Bobby has a gun that he could use at any time. There’s plenty of suspense here, though their journey seems to drag on a bit too long. And by the time they reach their final destination, some of that tension has worn off.
This unlikely true story is definitely an intriguing one. But while Elordi’s performance will keep viewers guessing, this deadly cross-country road trip isn’t quite as tense and thrilling as it could have been.
You can travel with these two desperate men when He Went That Way arrives in theaters on January 5, 2024—or stream it starting on January 12, 2024.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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