He Went That Way

Zachary Quinto and Jacob Elordi star in this thriller based on a true crime that occurred in the 1960s. Jim (Zachary Quinto) , a famous animal trainer who transports a popular TV chimpanzee named Spanky, picks up Bobby (Jacob Elordi), a mysterious and attractive stranger, on a desolate stretch of Route 66. Jim and Bobby small talk but the conversation turns tense when Bobby reacts negatively to Jim asking about his discharge from the Air Force. In the risked journey take place curious tensions and bonds between two and at times three peculiar roles.

A slow and somewhat boring film in the form of a "Road Movie" with too much conversation, thrills, murders and a brief character study. It's a pretty deliberate and easy film that relies heavily on the two main characters, who make the film, which otherwise has nothing special. Based on actual events, in fact the role Bobby is based off Larry Lee Ranes, a serial killer from Kalamazoo, MI. It's simply a long trip along Route 66, where the main character Zachary Quinto picks up the murderer Jacob Elordi, and along the way, there are several murderous adventures, confrontations and stops along the way: in roadshops, gas station, a mechanic garage, a pharmacy and in a town where they meet two girls.

Starring two rising stars who give competent performances despite the bland script, they are: Zachary Quinto famous for Spock in the modern Star Trek saga, Heroes and Hitman: Agent 47 , as well as Jacob Elordi of Saltburn, Priscilla or Euphoria. Jacob Elordi is expanding his auteur collaborations and will star in Guillermo del Toro's upcoming "Frankenstein" as the titular monster. And another starring is a chimpanzee called Spanky that died of natural causes in Philadelphia.

In the film only highlights the colorful cinematography by Sean Bagley, shot along the Route 66 and in Four Aces Movie Ranch ,Ave Q, Palmdale, California. The motion picture was mediocrely directed by by recently deceased Jeffrey Darling due to a surf accident. In fact, at the end of the film there is a mention: ¨In memory of Jeffrey Darling¨. This filmaker Jeffrey Darling was born in Australia, he was a cinematographer and director, usually working as a cameraman in television and cinema; known for The Crossing (1990), Crowded House: Not the Girl You Think You Are (1996) , Young Einstein (1988) and The place at the coast (1987). This ¨He Went That Way(2023)¨ was his only and final feature film of his life.

It is 1964. Jim (Zachary Quinto) is driving across America with a trained monkey. He picks up hitchhiker Bobby (Jacob Elordi).

There is something wrong with Jim. There are red flags flying all over the place and he's just strange. There is something really wrong with him. The monkey may be the most normal folk in that vehicle. From that beginning, I couldn't shake the feeling that it's all very fake. The fact that it took inspiration from a real incident matters very little. By the closing texts, I'm feeling completely lost in the strange characters in weird tones and questionable everything.

I could tell within the first 30 minute that this was written and directed by children who have no experience in real life. I would guess that their parent paid for their film school education, and they have watched a lot of movies, which they assume would give them the ability to make a movie of their own. But there is nothing original or interesting here. Sorry, boys, you failed. Your characters are false, your story is derivative, and the movie doesn't even have any style. It's such a shame that you wasted the efforts of decent actors like Zachary Quinto and Jacob Elordi. Time to give up filmmaking and find a real job. I hear Applebee's is hiring.

Movies based on true stories always have my preference, certainly if it's about true crime and serial killers. I had never heard about this story before though, so it was a surprise. They probably embellished the whole story a bit so it felt more fiction than non-fiction. I really doubt that it went like this. That said it was pleasant to watch, mostly because of the good acting from Jacob Elordi and Zachary Quinto. The chimpanzee looked a bit fake but overall it was okay. Not a lot of action considering it's about a serial killer, and a rather slow pace, but still good enough due to the good acting.

In 1964-based true-tale crime-drama "He Went That Way" mild-mannered down-on-his-luck chimpanzee handler Zachary Quinto picks up hitcher Jacob Elordi... who has deep psychological issues. Events escalate but the two (and Quinto's chimp) form an unlikely yet plausible bond (rubbing off on each other to an extent) as they travel Route 66, thru a series of largely dark encounters (with the likes of Troy Evans). Quinto & Elordi are terrific (no wonder the latter's a rising star), Evan M Wiener's screenplay is original & engaging, and Jeffrey Darling does a fine job bringing it all home in the only movie he ever directed before passing away (RIP). It's a tad different, but it's good.