Things Will Be Different

Director: Michael Felker
Screenplay: Michael Felker
Starring: Adam David Thompson, Riley Dandy
Country: US
Running Time: 102m
Year: 2024

Two siblings evade police following a botched robbery and hide in a farmhouse. The brother (Adam David Thompson) has mysterious instructions that lead him and his sister to an alternative timeline. Same farmhouse, no police. They just need to wait until the heat has died down in their own timeline, do as their strange, unseen collaborators tell them, and they can return home. And then they are warned a stranger approaches.

Things Will Be Different is a cracking little film that expertly channels limited resources into an affecting tale. It’s a clever, audience-baiting gimmicky story of time travel shenanigans, or at least dimension hopping, that’s actually delivering a solid drama.

The story concept recalls a tradition of 2000AD, Doctor Who or X-Files, with a healthy bend towards horror. It reminded me a little of the underrated Triangle. Mechanics of how the siblings navigate the time jumping are very loosely explained, if at all; some may see that as a flaw, a criticism levelled at Jodi Taylor’s Chronicles of St. Mary’s books. But like Taylor’s stories, Things Will Be Different is a huge slice of fun, with a distinct impression that Michael Felker fully understands the process and is simply letting us enjoy the results.

Largely a two-hander, it’s a cooly paced piece that takes a wobbly premise and invests it with character. Who the siblings robbed and especially why isn’t clear, but matters less than precisely how the science works. Both angles of the story are merely a fun way to get Adam David Thompson and Riley Dandy in a kind of workshopped play. Their characters don’t fully get what’s going on anymore than we do, so they play the hand that’s dealt them.

A brother and sister, very close, with only the emotional baggage they carried with them to amuse them. It quickly establishes a kind of locked box narrative; how do they solve the puzzle and get out? While they work it out, the tension ramps up. It largely avoids obvious contrivance and it’s full of cute ideas with no reliance on visual effects. It’s simply filmed by director/writer Felker and the story sticks to its lane.

The solution to the puzzle isn’t particularly groundbreaking, but it’s satisfying. It wisely lets the story play out without inviting you to try and second guess it. And it’s to its credit that it wasn’t obvious.

VIDEO

This is a simple film, but one that makes the most of its cold environment. The farmhouse set is a dream setup, lending itself to an isolated vista. Effects are wisely used and look fantastic. There’s also some brief action scenes, and while that’s not what the film is about for most of its runtime, they’re very satisfyingly choreographed. The HD transfer handles everything evenly. To be honest, a small film such as this, we’d be more concerned with what it didn’t get right for a physical release. In this case, nothing to report.

EXTRA FEATURES

This is a solid release from Lightbulb and not to be dismissed. An excellent film, presented well and well-served by a healthy collection of exras.

• Audio Commentary with the Director and Producer
• Hidden Tape Video
• Director’s Storyboard
• Stills Gallery
• Trailer