He Went That Way has all the makings of a great thriller, including two talented lead actors, however due to messy writing and a few other issues, it falls apart before it can ever reach its full potential.
Jacob Elordi had a stellar 2023. Not only did he star as Elvis in Priscilla, he played Felix in the widely discussed Saltburn which is taking TikTok by storm and has been a big part of awards season talk. Because of this, you might think that he is untouchable. While, unfortunately his latest film, He Went That Way, never lives up to its potential.
Based on the real life story of a young serial killer, He Went That Way is a bizarre take on a buddy road trip movie. When Jim (Zachary Quinto) decides to pick up a hitchhiker named Bobby (Jacob Elordi), it doesn’t take long for things to go completely off track. To make things even stranger, Jim has a chimpanzee named Spanky in his car with him, because of course he is caretaker to the celebrity animal.
Now you have to admit, this sounds like the makings of a great thriller. A murderous hitchhiker who has his eyes on unsuspecting prey, that just so happens to be taking care of a chimpanzee — an animal that is known to have a mean streak, especially when held in captivity. Perhaps the biggest problem here is that He Went That Way is based on a real life story, which means that it stays mostly true to it. Especially to the outcome. Which, while somewhat interesting, is extremely predictable even for those who don’t know how things turned out. Probably the most intriguing part of the whole movie is the interview with the real Jim during the credits.
When it comes to the film itself, even at just over ninety minutes it feels too convoluted and packed with dry and dragged out moments. Quinto and Elordi are both talented and incredible actors, but both feel underused, like they are never allowed to fully cut loose and embrace the roles. Because of this, their chemistry is often lacking, save for a few quiet moments at in the first and third act.
Unfortunately, He Went That Way never delivers on the promised suspense. This movie could have been an edge of your seat thriller, but not once does it feel like Jim is in danger. The two men form a strange bond early on and from that moment, right to the end, He Went That Way goes off the rails. It feels more like a buddy road trip movie than it should, but without the comedy aspect you might expect from one of those. Which leaves a dry and dull story that tries to dive into the psyche of a killer, but instead just feels like it is doing too much at once, while never fully committing one way or the other.
If He Went That Way instead took the real life events, and went fully off the walls with them, it could have been a campy horror or a tense thriller. But without that happening, it is just a bit of a bore that never fully ends up, well, anywhere.
Rating: 1.5 out of 5
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About He Went That Way
Set in 1964, He Went That Way is a taut thriller based on a true crime story that puts a wicked spin on the buddy road trip film.
The film follows 19-year-old serial killer Bobby (Jacob Elordi) as he is picked up by a celebrity animal handler, Jim (Zachary Quinto), on a desolate stretch of Route 66 with priceless cargo in tow: Jim’s chimpanzee, Spanky, an American TV darling.
As stress between Bobby and Jim rises and their fiery personalities combust, the road only becomes more treacherous the farther they go.
He Went That Way comes to select theaters on January 5th.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.