User reviews

Joseph (Adam David Thompson) and Sidney (Riley Dandy) meet up at a diner. They are both armed and carrying a bag of money. They go to a pre-selected farm house. There is a specific procedure of changing the clocks, opening a door, and dialing a phone in the dark. They arrive back to the house which is fully stocked. Their plan is to stay there for two weeks and wait out the cops.

This is a low-budget high-concept sci-fi crime drama. I like the general premise and the curious door procedure to start the story. The problem is that it doesn't entice the audience to invest in these two characters. These are not famous faces and they don't have any exposition. Once things start going wrong, the rules are not clear. Nothing is that clear in this movie. The reveal is the reveal. I expected something like it. It's fine. The overall execution is a bit lacking.

I give it 6 stars because although it kind of comes together in the end, the plot is very intriguing. It keeps you guessing and forming your opinions heavily throughout the film. It had a feel like the movie "The Endless" where the characters are stuck in this loop only it was a bit harder to understand. What the endless had that this movie doesn't have is an ending that sufficed although it couldn't really be explained. This movie had me staring at the screen for a minute after it went off still trying to figure out the hows and whys. I liked the acting very much. All in all it's a good movie with subpar explanations. In the end they tied it together but again with no clear explanation to how "the enemy" even got there or who that person was looking for.

The actors were great, the script not so much. I was bored and falling to sleep watching this dull movie. Confusing storyline that made you not care about the two leading characters. A brother and sister duo hide out in a farmhouse in a psychological thriller masquerading as a horror film. The brother and sister are stuck in a time loop and they can't seem to escape this farmhouse, the movie goes on and on as it tries to explain to the viewers the premise of the characters and film. But as the film ends you still feel like what in the hell did I just watch. A mishmash of me praying will this movie ever end.

Wow. What a strong directorial debut! I am really impressed with Michael Felker's efforts here and am excited to see where he goes as a filmmaker. He has an obvious love for science fiction, and after watching this I have a sneaking suspicion he will go on to become a rising and strong voice in genre filmmaking.

The script and concept are really strong here, but for whatever reason this honestly just didn't connect with me as much as I hoped it would. I feel similarly about many of the low-budget efforts of Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, both of whom serve as Executive Producers here (fantastic voices in genre filmmaking as well). If, however, you ARE a fan of any Benson and Moorhead films, I'm confident you'll feel right at home here; even if THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT doesn't end up fully connecting with you like it didn't for me.

You'll find some interesting ideas here for sure though. The hook is a strong one and there are a couple fun additions thanks to some twists and turns throughout the story. The pacing can a bit slow though and the sibling dynamic pitched as the heart of tale ultimately fell flat for me. I hate saying that, as I know it came from a personal place from the filmmaker, but I do have to admit it left me feeling cold once the credits rolled. Will that be the case for everyone though? Absolutely not. As with all art, reactions to this will vary, but it's still a film I'd ultimately recommend (unless you've seen TIMECRIMES which this film may or may not borrow too heavily from).

My issues aside, I do stand by this being a strong piece of science fiction (with a dash of horror) and I'd encourage those with interest to check it out and decide for themselves.

RANDOM PRAISE +

• S/O to Carissa Dorson for some excellent cinematography. I'm not sure what the budget was for this but she really made the best of what she had.

RANDOM CRITIQUE -

• This may be a Midwest thing, so forgive my cultural ignorance, but both of our leads casually walk around a parking lot and diner with their rifles, which-if you live in a city like me, may be a VERY jarring visual and reality to accept.

TAKEAWAY ?

• Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

The movie's premise was quite good. The siblings hide in a temporal B&B to avoid the law. However, they soon discover that leaving is not as easy as they thought. They can communicate with the people responsible for time travel using a tape recorder locked in a safe. They are tasked with confronting an adversary who appears later in the story.

The execution, however, leaves much to be desired. I agree with other reviewers: the cinematography is excellent, the sound and music are above average, and the acting ranges from superb (the brother) to good but somewhat forced (the sister). The main drawback of the movie is its screenplay. While it has potential, there are super boring parts interspersed with a few sudden twists. Moreover, many elements are either left unexplained or explained in a lacklustre manner.

Despite its shortcomings, I enjoyed the movie. It would have benefitted from being 30 minutes shorter, featuring more realistic sibling dialogues, and providing better explanations for a few key elements, for example, delving deeper into the adversary's identity. Still, it was more than satisfactory for a low-budget flick.

P. S.

A few other movies gave me similar vibes, most notably Timecrimes (2007), The Field (2019), and The Endless (2017).

I love Science Fiction and TimeTravel. However, this movie is so clueless and plain stupid that it hurts - clearly a waste of time! The scenery is ok, the set is ok, the camera shots are ok - the dialogue is stupid and uninspiring. I am writing the review out of kindness for anybody considering to watch this movie. Do not waste the time of your life - do something else!!!

I watched this thing because of a YouTube recommendation and it was worthless! I will leave a similar commend at YouTube to prevent everybody from wasting their precious time!

Do something constructive - talk to a friend, your kids or your love!

I'm a fan of time travel movies and i'm always looking for new ideas in this genre. And it's not easy because the same cliches keep repeating (ha!) themselves. This movie SEEMS to be following the same path, but there's something about it that makes it different.

To decide whether to watch or not and to avoid disappointment, please note: location and cast are extremely limited, everything here is about suspense but not about action as such, the movie is disguised as a low-budget indie but in fact, it's well-made and well-acted, the plot and the acting have some rough edges, but everything is compensated by the last point - there's something to think about.

If these points are ok for you - go ahead.

This was a film that I got the chance to see thanks to Amelia from Strike Media. I originally was going to catch this when it showed at the Gateway Film Center, but I couldn't make the times work. Seeing that Aaron Morehead and Justin Benson helped get this made, that was a perk in its favor. I did know there could be time travel elements, which is something else that I'm a fan of.

Synopsis: in order to escape the police after a robbery, two estranged siblings lay low in a farmhouse that hides them away in a different time. There they reckon with a mysterious force that pushes their familial bonds to unnatural breaking points.

We start this with the credits as well as getting up to speed with the elements of the synopsis. The siblings are Joseph (Adam David Thompson) and Sidney (Riley Dandy). She meets him at a diner. He tells her what the plan is and where they're going. There are police sirens in the distance and seem to be getting closer. They head out. Their route takes them through the woods. The closer they get to the house, they do find a campsite. This makes Syd pause and question if they should continue. Her fears are founded as the house they're looking for, there is a group of guys drinking and shooting. Our siblings are able to scare them off and get inside.

Joseph has a notebook that gives him what he needs to do. He obtained this and learned of the place from a regular at the bar he owns. It is specific. They treat two of the clocks like a combination lock. The police sirens approach and they go through an upstairs door. It takes them to a dark room with a rotary telephone. Joseph gives his sister the notebook and holds a match so she can make a call. They leave the room to find the house is the same, but also different. The rooms aren't as messy. There also doesn't seem to be anyone around.

The plan here is to stay for two weeks and then go back. The heat from the authorities should be gone by then. This house seems to stay stocked with food and alcohol. It is a nice time where these two siblings get to know each other better. When their time to return comes, they find the door barricaded. No one else is here and this spooks our duo. There is also a locked room outside of a mill that is no longer sealed. It is inside here that they find a dead body as well as a table with a note carved on it. It is how to contact the person or the people who know about them being here.

Joseph does what is asked since there isn't a way out. Syd tried to run, but didn't get far before she was vomiting blood. They're told at first that they'll be 'wiped'. Syd pushes as to what that means. They don't seem to have a position to negotiate. Joseph does find a way and it involves killing someone else who is coming to this time. They aren't sure when this other person will arrive. It strains these two as they try to pass the time. It also puts stress on them as they weren't prepared to make a decision as to what needs to be done.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is bringing back up what I said previously, this had my interest knowing that it dealt with time travel. There is a simple enough premise here. We have these two that commit a crime and then they're going to hide out in this farmhouse, during a different time. It is a lonely place. Not bad for the two weeks that they think they'll be here. They end up stuck for much longer so we see how being isolated with one other person and how that affects you. I appreciate the basic concept for sure. Seems to be influenced by quarantines during the pandemic.

Now that I've set that up, this is an interesting character study of Joseph and Syd. We get to learn more about their past, what they've done in that stretch where they weren't talking and then how they deal with their time here. I'll start by saying that Thompson and Dandy bring their characters to life. They're a perfect fit. They do feel like siblings and then going farther than that, we feel that stress of being trapped together to see how that strains the relationship. What we learn through dialogue is that Joseph owns a bar and all but abandoned his sister when she was making bad decisions. Now that she is trying to get her life back on track, he feels guilty so he's willing to rob this bank to help her. He will also use his cut to pay off things with his business. They both have things to lose, his bar and she has a daughter. That adds to the tension the longer they're here. Also, when the stakes rise due to this other stranger who appears eventually. I dug that.

I was originally going to include this in the breakdown of the characters, but I felt this needed more. How these two deal with their isolation from the rest of the world is interesting. They are also different from each other. Syd falls into almost exploring conspiracy theories. There are documents and different things that she reads through, when she isn't sitting at her post, drinking and working out. She sits Joseph down to tell him what she's found. It doesn't amount to much to him, whereas it does for her. It gives them a place to start. Joseph on the other hand continues to go out to the mill to talk with the entity that gave them the deal. This is eerie since it is done through a safe and a tape recorder inside. Syd doesn't trust them, but I get the idea that he needs to talk to somebody else. We are seeing both descend into a madness of sorts.

The last thing here before shifting into filmmaking is to say that what they're planning to do would be tough. That is a life changing decision. I love the idea that as humans, we can do things we don't think of when pushed like that. This does build tension, but it also makes this a slow-burn. I did feel my interest lower a bit. I'm not sure the payoff was good enough. It is a depressing outcome if I read everything correctly. I do like what they do with filmmaking and framing to show how isolated their location is. Even more so that we don't see anyone else. There are good effects, but those are used on a limited basis. It isn't that type of film though either. The blood looked good, I did want to say that. Other than that, I thought the sound design added a dimension here and the soundtrack fit what was needed.

All that is left then is the rest of the cast. Chloe Skoczen is someone we first meet through Joseph recounting the person who told him about the house. So, she is his regular. How she came back to this was interesting. We have Benson and Sarah Bolger in an interesting cameo. They both have good voices for what was needed. Our director, Michael Felker, and Moorhead have a cameo on a video that our siblings watch. I thought that overall, the acting was good and fit what was needed.

In conclusion, I enjoyed the overall idea of what this movie was doing. It is an interesting one of going to a different time to hide from a crime you committed. Things aren't as easy to get back and it tests our two characters. Their acting was good so credit to Thompson and Dandy. The rest of the cast around them was solid to push them to where they end up. I'd say that this is well made with the cinematography, framing and sound design. If I have a gripe, I don't think that the payoff at the end was enough for what we built. It doesn't ruin the film though by any stretch. If you want a time travel horror film, I'd recommend giving this a watch. It is light on the horror, but more about the stress of getting out.

My Rating: 7 out of 10.

The concept for Things Will Be Different (2024) sounded promising and definitely piqued my interest. Movies involving time travel can often be hit or miss, and unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me. The two lead actors do a decent job portraying their characters, and the movie is beautifully shot with an impressive visual style. However, the story and pacing are where it falls short.

The film raises numerous questions but only loosely answers a few. It takes nearly an hour for anything significant to happen, and even then, the movie remains barely engaging. This concept might have worked better as a short film or with a faster-paced script featuring more tension-filled scenes and action. Instead, the execution is too slow-paced, making it feel much longer than it actually is. Slow-paced movies can work when they don't feel slow, but in this case, you feel every minute.

Ultimately, the concept promised much more than the final result could deliver, so I can't recommend this one. [4.4/10]

Never mind that this mess has more holes in the story than a fishing net, but it defies basic logic, reasoning and more importantly, basic storytelling. It is one of the worst written and directed films I've seen in a long time.

I'm not sure what the professional critics over at RT watched with their 81% Certified Fresh 52 reviews, and am baffled who they, the mostly professional and educated journalists who know how to write editorials, were impressed by such convoluted nonsense. I mean paint drying is more exciting, and at least makes sense.

Almost every single scene in the dragged out 102 min runtime defied logic and reasoning, and as mentioned, basic storytelling. A fifth grade drama class could write a more cohesive and believable story.

What's worse, is that writer-director Michael Felker had all these apparent "Easter eggs" with random shots of photo frames and other props, that had zero value, credibility or substance. For that matter, every single scene and dialogue defied basic logic, and all these so called hints Felker added to make himself and the story seem clever, where nothing but useless red-herrings that induced constant eye-rolls and cringe.

This mess may have been better produced as a short no-more-than-20-min film, but would still need a bunch of edits to have some sort of cohesive story. Even the ending was baffling and contrived nonsense. Just a little effort and basic reasoning could've at least had some sort of real closure to the otherwise underwhelming and laughable ending.

It's a generous 2/10 from me, all going to the actors who did their best with the mess they were given, and an actually impressive score.

The basic premise of TWBD is that two siblings, Joseph (Adam David Thompson) and Sidney (Riley Dandy), are robbers on the run from the law. They proceed through the woods to a farmhouse. They enter the house and by following some instructions in a notebook, they are able to exit through a closet door and reemerge, as it were, in a different time (but same farmhouse) to wait out the police for fourteen days.

So far, so good. And the cinematography (by Carissa Dorson) makes the most of the rural location.

Of course, Joseph and Sidney end up getting stuck in the farmhouse. They discover that the location actually functions as the "property" of a mysterious guide who speaks to them through a tape-recorder and is willing to help get them back to the present if they complete a specific task: the elimination of a mysterious (third) intruder. It is only toward the end that we learn just how fraught that task actually is.

TWBD does its best work through visuals: not just the facial expressions of the two principal actors, but the flashbacks to childhood (blurred images of a parental figure at a piano); the various (presumably alcoholic) beverages and vintage glassware that are a constant feature of TWBD; the trees, fields, and hills of the rural Midwest; the strange photographs, paintings and tchotchkes of the absent prior owners; etc. A second viewing is almost required to make sense of the visual displays that kaleidoscope and change constantly.

That said, the film is not as friendly in linking the narrative together for the viewer. But the thread is there. And there is a discernible conclusion, which in my view has to do with "breaking" a cycle of decisions, and the sacrifice required to do that.

A lot of viewers appear turned off by the temporal twists and non-obvious narrative. However, I think you might like this feature if you like, for example, Flanagan's own debut ("Abstentia"), the films of Isaac Ezban or Moorhead & Benson's "Synchronic" or "The Endless." (Benson has a part near the end. It is easy to see why he agreed, given the subject matter. Well, that and the fact that he is one of the Executive Producers. :-) )

I will certainly be looking out for Michael Felker's next film. This was an impressive debut.

Not sure where the horror was supposed to come in but I'll move on from that

The scifi is time travel and an interesting concept

Now maybe if they script writers could have wrote some interesting things to happen or twists or turns or them finding things but nope

Instead you get to watch almost two hours of two bumbling stupid american siblings argue and act like alcoholics

Then at the end they try to throw in some cheap twist and if anything it ruins any kind of story they were trying to build

Stupid movie - stupid characters - stupid tropes

Honestly even my 4/10 review is pushing it this was a complete waste of time.

The star of this film is obviously Michael Felker. His alter-ego appears near the end of the film. This is pretty much a story of Bonnie and Clyde Meet the Wizards of Oz. Michael is one of the wizards.

A sister and brother have robbed a bank and are hiding out in a farmhouse. The farmhouse makes Saw look like a pleasant experience. They are now trapped in a time freeze (to match the pleasant weather outside). The writing for this film is extremely creative, and kudos must be given for its originality.

However, there are a few slow spots, and a few things that are currently not possible in current science. We must suspend our disbelief in order for the plot to unravel. The conclusion is highly satisfying, however, as neither of these gene pools would have been useful for mankind.

The writers and director appear to have been absolutely convinced that they are producing High Art, while they were in fact cobbling together a mess of plot holes in the shape of a film.

The premise is silly: you need to lay low after a crime, so naturally you teleport to a bizarro world frozen in time? What, you couldn't just go camping? You've got a child at home that you "must not grow up without a mother" but dimension jumping sounds reasonable?

Why did the Vice take so long to introduce itself? Why can't they detect the visitor? How and why do they maintain the house? Why did the visitor need to get through the door, and how'd they get there in the first place? Why?

Rather than bother to fill the movie with plot and dialogue that might explain some of this though, we're treated to achingly long silent scenes of the actors making a sandwich, or just starring off into the horizon. I'm sure some film student really appreciated... something out of all that, but when you fail to define why anything is happening, you force the viewer to ask why they're wasting their time watching.

We can stop this trend Horror-Science-fiction is such a bad combination Why do you choose such a horror style that always had a bad score, I just don't see the point, although if you want to spoil the movie, surely add the horror genre The vast majority of horror movies are nonsense, they make you waste your time Any genre can be combined with science fiction, but not horror, and let's not talk about the fact that many people may have heart problems, or they may be children who watch and get scared at night This horror genre is a risk and I think this category should be eliminated for the good of everyone And I would also like the 2 hours I lost for this film masterpiece back.

No pun intended - and judging from what we heard from the director (who likes talking about movies with his dad, well Science Fiction movies, he also likes to get input from his mom, good for him and them by the way) ... I think he would like my summary headline.

All that aside, this is quite the heavy movie ... head wise that is. It might mess you up - who is who and why do they act the way they do? I think I figured a lot out, but even so, the end of the line is not reached ... or cannot be seen in the movie. We do not need to see it of course - well I would argue we don't. You may feel a bit cheated by the movie - and might want more (or any for that matter) answers ... well done then and the acting is amazing. I think that should be enough to make you think about if this is for you or not - let's end this then ... (yes I just did that)

I'm giving this film 8 stars because I enjoyed it, pretty much all-round and all throughout. The setup is good, after which things get interesting, after which things get a bit slow, after which things get all riled up again.

And the plot isn't everything, as it is with films. The scenic shots (although familiar after some time) are well-imaged, the soundtrack (although minimal), does really come through when it comes.

I did find myself pauzing, rewinding, and getting a bit closer to the screen at times to follow along with the plot. Some communication in the film is done through text. It's done through woodcarving, actually, and although it looks good, it's not always the most legible. If you're not reading the text, some scenes might become a bit more mysterious, although I do believe plot-crucial elements are also conveyed via audible dialogue.