THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT

Writer-director Michael Felker teams up with indie gods and SXSW sweethearts Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead to bring 2024 audiences the new film THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT.

Suspension of disbelief plays a vital role. The concept of the siblings hiding from police in a time-shifting hideout is a brilliant and bonkers idea, and Joe and Sid accept it without a moment’s hesitation. Surrounded by a Groundhog Day effect, but one that proves deadlier, brother and sister mentally deteriorate, and one small change triggers chaos.

Sid and Joseph throw theories against the wall in a way I can only imagine Felker did when concocting the screenplay. Nothing and everything is a clue, as the fear of a butterfly effect keeps them trapped.

Riley Dandy (CHRISTMAS BLOODY CHRISTMAS) gives Sidney an anxious eagerness driven by the fact that her daughter is in the present. The longer she remains trapped in the house, the more she fears her daughter’s inevitable trauma.

Adam David Thompson (Here Alone, Creep Box) plays Joseph. Thompson does his best to remain even-keeled, but circumstances and ever-evolving complications make that challenging. Dandy and Thompson’s chemistry is a perfect balance of at arm’s length and trust. It is like watching a tennis match between two pros. They eat Felker’s script up.

THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT is a slick sci-fi about regret, redemption, and inevitably. With nods to Big Brother, it earns repeated viewings.

Credits

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