As a fan who’s always ready to warp into the realms of time travel movies, my anticipation for Things Will Be Different was as high as my hopes for a DeLorean to appear on my driveway. Helmed by Michael Felker, in what marks his leap from editing to directing, with frequent collaborators Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson (Something in The Dirt) producing, this film is a time-twisting tale that packs a lot more than just temporal leaps.
Things Will Be Different throws estranged siblings Joseph (Adam David Thompson) and Sidney (Riley Dandy) into a temporal tangle that’s more twisted than spaghetti in a black hole. After a diner meet-up goes awry, they find refuge in an abandoned farmhouse that’s more than it appears. What initially seems like a lucky escape turns into a chronal puzzle, ensnaring them in a time they can’t easily zip back from. It’s a setup that promises, and largely delivers, a journey through the bends and loops of time that fans like myself eat up.
“…a time-twisting tale that packs a lot more than just temporal leaps.”
Felker’s budgetary constraints turn out to be a hidden boon, emphasizing clever storytelling and editing over flashy effects. This approach brings to mind the ingenuity of films like Primer (2004) and (of course) The Endless (2017), where the complexity of the narrative and the depth of the character interactions drive the story, rather than big-budget spectacle. The film’s reliance on paradoxes and interdimensional communication through simple objects like tape recorders is both a nod to and a reinvention of the genre’s classic elements.
The siblings’ journey is less about dodging their temporal anomalies and more an exploration of their fractured relationship, making Things Will Be Different a study in human nature trapped in a time slip. Sidney’s methodical search for clues contrasts sharply with Joseph’s existential unraveling, showcasing a diverse approach to crisis that adds layers to their characters. It’s as if they’re not just fighting to find their way back to the present but also to understand each other and themselves better.
While the film occasionally trips over its own ambitious plot, getting tangled in the very paradoxes it cleverly sets up, it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment. Yes, it might lean a bit too heavily on unanswered questions, perhaps frustrating those looking for a neatly tied-up narrative. Yet, in the tradition of time travel tales, it’s these very mysteries and the exploration of “what if” that fuel our fascination.
In a landscape where time travel movies often rely on visual effects to sell their story, Things Will Be Different stands out by using its limitations to its advantage, weaving a compelling narrative through the strength of its performances and the ingenuity of its storytelling. The ending, both satisfying and unsettling, serves as a reminder that, in time travel movies, the journey is often more intriguing than the destination.
“…proves that you don’t need a blockbuster budget to make viewers question their own place in the space-time continuum.”
Things Will Be Different might not reinvent the wheel—or should I say, the time machine—but it’s a worthy addition to the time travel genre, proving that you don’t need a blockbuster budget to make viewers question their own place in the space-time continuum. In a genre that often asks us to look back or forward, this film smartly reminds us that the present is a puzzle worth solving, too.
Michael Felker’s Things Will Be Different celebrated its World Premiere at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival. Click HERE to follow our continued coverage of the fest, including more Time Travel movies, like Sew Torn. Let us know if you’re excited to see Things Will Be Different for yourself and share your own time travel favs with us in the official Nightmare on Film Street discord!
