Roadside America offers plenty of surprises for travelers, though it occasionally producesterrifying true crime storiesthat remind everyone to be wary of the hitchhikers they decide to pick up. Based on a true story,He Went That Wayillustrates one extreme case of an unfortunate celebrity animal handler who finds himself on a chaotic road trip with a serial killer. A new trailer seesJacob Elordihitch a ride withZachary Quinto, causing a spiral of madness as the two fiery personalities clash with one another and make the journey more dangerous as they get further down the road.
The footage starts with Bobby (Elordi) being questioned by the police about the murders he committed before he talks about the one that he let escape his clutches. Whenhe first walks up to Jim (Quinto), he seems perfectly normal and the mild-mannered Jim seems more than willing to help him out. The first sign thatthis will be no ordinary ridedown Route 66, however, is when Bobby hears something in the back of their car and Jim reveals Spanky, the famous chimp whom he has worked with for years. It establishes a connection between the two as they both face crossroads in their lives - Bobby is simply tired of people and Jim is still lost after losing his job. When Bobby finally decides to turn on Jim,all hell breaks loose as they make a deal to reach Chicago without any cops or any more deaths.
Elordi and Quinto make an excellent duo as both are fresh off of some major roles. Elordi recently dove deep into his roleas Elvis inSofia Coppola’sPriscillawhile Quinto finally got back to playing Robot inInvincibleSeason 2. Together onHe Went That Way, however, they look to bring out the best, and worst, in each other as their ride only gets more tense. Quinto’s Jim tries to be encouraging to Bobby in hopes of helping him turn his life around, but things soon turn south when it appears Jim deceived him. The intro indicates Jim made it out alive, but that doesn’t mean this twisted “buddy” road trip filmwon’t have an ugly end.
‘He Went That Way’ Marks Jeffrey Darling’s First and Last Film
Also featuring the talents ofSuitsalumPatrick J. Adams,He Went That Waypremiered at theTribeca Film Festivalearlier this year, earning mixed reviews from critics but an overall strong response in the eyes of the production team. They toldDeadlineearlier this year that they were, “so thrilled by the audience response at Tribeca and delighted that Vertical will be bringing this story to theaters.” Leading the project was veteran cinematographerJeffrey Darlingin what stands as his first and last directorial effort. Darling tragically passed away back in 2022 as the film was still in post-production, and his crew was eager for the long-gestating project to live on in his name. “It’s been an eighteen-year journey to bring this story to life and now stands as a legacy to our director, the late Jeffrey Darling, who passed away during post-production. Jacob and Zachary brought such an intensity and smart approach to the characters in a story steeped in instinct, infatuation, and incident.”
He Went That Wayhits theaters on January 5 in the U.S. before becoming available on-demand on January 12. Check out the trailer below.
