He Went That Way, 2023.
Directed by Jeffrey Darling.
Starring Jacob Elordi, Zachary Quinto, Patrick J. Adams, Troy Evans, Alexandra Doke, John Lee Ames, Roman Arabia, Nicolette Doke, Ananyaa Shah, Josh Archer, Christopher Guyton, Jonathan Pitts, and Phoenix Notar.
SYNOPSIS:
A journey of curious tensions and bonds between two and at times three interesting characters all on their own path.
There is a performer chimpanzee among the main trio of characters at the center of the recently deceased Jeffrey Darling’s directorial debut He Went That Way (unfortunately so before the finished film was put together), but the real circus performer is Jacob Elordi as serial killer Bobby, shrieking and shouting and melting down at every turn on his murderous trek across a Vietnam era Midwest (a time and place that doesn’t figure into the narrative much.) This is after sliding into good company with Jim (Zachary Quinto), the celebrity trainer of that celebrity animal who is traveling for a gig.
Whatever semblance of compelling storytelling (courtesy of screenwriter Evan M. Wiener) that is supposed to be here is consistently drowned out by pure noise and loudness from Bobby, a dishonorably discharged servicemember supposedly on his way back to reunite with his significant other, but also sociopathic and filled with rage, not to mention some rapey undertones (there’s an entire sequence where he thinks it would be a good idea to use the chimp to lure in some women, subsequently getting creepy with them in a motel room.) There isn’t much of a character or driving motivational factor to speak of here, which is only made more baffling by Jim often rather unphased by his road companion’s actions. Instead, he is interested in how he can use Bobby’s temper to his advantage for his own personal affairs.
This results in a film trying its hardest to be edgy and shocking but also with an unserious tone and no drama. For much of the duration, it feels like an acting reel for Jacob Elordi making a case to prove he can play some unhinged nut job character in a better movie. Considering his recent work on screen at the end of last year, it’s also apparent that he is already way above whatever this movie attempts to accomplish.
As for Spanky the chimpanzee (played by Phoenix Notary, likely related to Terry Notary, who is most famous for doing motion capture work on the modern Apes films), he is cute, and the shenanigans that they get up to are moderately amusing, but nowhere near enough to hang an entire movie on. None of this feels properly developed, and there is a sense that the director passing before the film’s completion had something to do what the general messiness here.
There is some opening narration (and when it becomes clear who the narrator is, it is eye-rolling), giving the impression that this story is about finding the humanity in even the worst characters on screen, which is a difficult task when there isn’t much to work with here. Nothing about the presentation here is effective regarding moral outrage or unease. Jim and Bobby don’t really develop an intriguing bond either. The only thing He Went That Way will be remembered for (and even that is a very generous statement) is that movie where Jacob Elordi stormed his way through every scene as a madman without a shred of meaningful characterization.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
