Last Updated on October 5, 2024 by
Things Will Be Different is a 2024, Horror Movie Directed and written by Michael Felker, The film Star: Adam David Thompson, Riley Dandy, and Chloe Skoczen, with a 1h 42M runtime, and was released on October 04, 2024.
The film Things Will Be Different is the first directorial venture of a person who is normally an editor by profession named Michael Felker. The most prominent recent works by Felker include The Endless and Synchronic, which establishes the director in the footsteps of other filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, with whom Felker has previously worked. As with their films, Felker relies on sci-fi here, with a relatively tight budget but grand concepts on the table. With his first film, he managed to combine suspense, time travel, and tension and although the movie starts with a bang, it falls short in the final stages.
The story starts fast: Joseph (Adam David Thompson) and his younger sister Sidney (Riley Dandy) are two brothers who have just executed a robbery. They have embezzled substantial cash and are now fugitives from the law enforcement agencies. Tired after a long night, they spot a house in the middle of nowhere and choose to wait until the heat dies down and the police let their guard down. But this is not any ordinary house. It is a passage to another realm, allowing them to escape from their current situation and remain concealed until the intensity subsides. They intend to wait for two weeks without being seen in this uncanny house before returning to the conventional time once things subside.
The house is mysterious but comfortable: It has unlimited food, no bar, and no shortage of drink, and it also entertains. But there’s a catch. They soon discover that they are in the clutches of an evil, unseen force called ‘The Vise Grip.’ This creepy being informs them that the only way to get out of the house is by murdering the third person who is on his way to the house. Otherwise, they will end up staying in the house for the rest of their lives and die there without returning to their own present time.
Initially, Felker comes up with a very promising premise full of tension. The concept of the house, and the rules of time travel, which are introduced into the story as if they were some sort of guideline (winding clocks and the rotary phone), adds an element of horror. Instead of being comfortable and safe, the house is more like a trap. When Sidney attempts to escape, Lamia chokes her and spits blood in her mouth; the situation symbolizes that they cannot escape one another. Thanks to Carissa Dorson’s cinematography, one can believe in this underground darkness that creates an atmosphere of isolation for the characters.
Finally, the film reveals more about the relationships of the main characters and their development as siblings. Sidney is a recovering drug addict who conned her friends, while Joseph is a struggling former businessman who lost a bar he owned. Both are using this big heist as a way to try and solve all their problems and set things right. Oh, they are recessive, and that’s the only way that they have to make some changes.
However, as the plot unfolds, it becomes rather confusing and lacks a clear structure. The early build of tension is effective, but when Joseph and Sidney are trapped for months, the suspense is not as strong. The “Vise Grip” entails that a third party is on the way but when the character arrives, complications arise. There are some car and foot chases, shooting scenes, and face-offs, while the core mystery, however, remains unsolved in the film. There is no clear set of rules in this world, and it seems that the authors of the film themselves get tired of answering fundamental questions.
It may be a work of sci-fi time travel and cosmic enigmas but it fails to dedicate sufficient time in establishing its premise or its rules. In my opinion, it seems like Felker focused a lot on the characters’ development while neglecting to address the leading concepts behind the movie. This means that the second half of the movie drags and when it gets to the last end, it is disappointing and confusing. However, it fails to make a strong statement, it merely poses more questions that can be answered, and the audience feels as if Felker has lost interest in telling his own story.
In conclusion, Things Will Be Different starts off strong and has a great first half due to the tension, mystery, and themes present in the show. It is also a commendable effort that has been enhanced by good performances from the actors and a well-developed setting. However, as the movie progresses, it builds up some tension, but the climax lacks energy and the film’s conclusion is disappointing. It’s rather frustrating because this movie has a lot of potential, and it just falls flat in the end.
Things Will Be Different 2024 Parents Guide Age Rating
Things Will Be Different is not rated because it has not undergone the official rating process by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA).
