Movie Discussion: Things Will Be Different (2024)
About Things Will Be Different: Shaun: Billed as a lo-fi, high-concept science fiction tale, Things Will Be Different rather surprised me because I hadn’t expected a work that, from a film perspective, was so polished. From shot selection thanks to director Michael Felker to the cinematography from Carissa Dorson to the editing by Felker and Rebeca Marques to the music by Jimmy LaValle and Michael A. Muller, this is well-designed film — and that without the VFX expectations of your modern blockbuster (again: lo-fi). Immersing myself into the story — and into growing complexities of that story — was a fluid process almost from the opening credits and certainly by the opening shots in the diner. Daniel: Yes, I really enjoyed the glacial build of this and uncertainties regarding the plot and what was going on because of the careful mise-en-scène and strong acting by Adam David Thompson and Riley Dandy. Despite a crime having occurred, with main characters being on the run from the law, everything about the start of this film is just focused on the mundane: the scenery, eating at a diner, family talk, living quiet lives holed up on an isolated property/safe house. But amid these prosaic elements are the odd little details that pop up in conversation and their actions. And of course they then adjust the clocks, step into that room, dial the phone, and step back out to a changed house and countryside. You’re held by the mystery of all the unexplained strangeness, and the general tensions formed by things being just not right. Shaun: It dawns on me that much of the film’s runtime is also dedicated to comparatively mundane matters. This comes across as quite deliberate: we don’t need a filmed backstory for these siblings because their relationship (and troubles) will become clear to us either through what they say or how they act. Thus, the strength of those performances are essential here. Without Thompson and Dandy to build a mountain of character upon, we’d be left with either a story with poorly developed stakes or a bloated film that spends more time on its science fiction premise than necessary. Things Will Be Different is, I think, well-paced and invites a second viewing to uncover more of the subtle character details in the first half’s montages and snippets of sibling conversation — plus all that whiskey! It might also be a film hiding clues about the strangeness to come later on (and you just know there will be strangeness because their escape from the law using weird time-manipulation is entirely too clean). Daniel: For reasons of my schedule and then streaming issues with the site where the screener was hosted, I ended up watching this movie restarting twice. So I had that chance to rewatch the beginning and pick up on more of those details, which I then also remembered more clearly upon finally getting through the end of the movie and its call-backs to its start. I’ll echo what you said about the strengths of acting by Thompson and Dandy. Their performances are indeed essential to the pacing and narrative uncertainties for the viewer. And those performances are just stellar. Also as you mentioned in your intro above, the cinematography and the music go a long way to accompany those performances in creating the creepy otherworldly atmosphere of the sibling’s predicament. Shaun: I agree completely that the music does a phenomenal job supporting the film’s otherworldly atmosphere. The score by Jimmy LaValle (also known for The Album Leaf) and Michael A. Muller is deliciously electronic, with grinding and whining synths and, at times, pounding and intense. It reminded me of Ben Frost’s work on Dark and likewise ended up on my horror writing playlist. I’m glad we get a chance to talk about scores here because I think this is a sometimes neglected aspect of film, yet without LaValle and Muller’s work on Things Will Be Different, I think the film’s slow and almost methodical move towards its first major twist and its shocking conclusion would have less impact. Film is about everything: character and story, acting, cinematography, and the score. And this is a great score (I’m listening to it as I write this and enjoying every second). When you combine this soundtrack with the cinematography, you get a film that builds its strange premise into an unsettling experience. The location shots (filmed in Indiana instead of the originally-intended Michigan location) of an overcast, semi-secluded farm — presumably dim and drab because most of the film occurs in some kind of alternate dimension — conveys that tone remarkably well. It is well shot film indeed! Daniel: We’ve spent most of the time here talking about all the things that Things Will Be Different does so well, but I think we both agree that there are aspects to it that miss the mark. For me they’re things that keep the movie in the realm of ‘good’ where it otherwise might have reached ‘exceptional.’ And what’s a bit frustrating is that I think many of those issues could have been fixed with some minimal additions or alternate editing on the part of the director Michael Felker. The issues boil down to character and plot development, but I do want to make clear that I’m fine with the film having unresolved elements after its conclusion. I don’t want to spoil with details here, so we’ll have to tread lightly, but I appreciate the open questions and room for interpretation that Felker provides the audience both in terms of the estranged siblings (Joseph and Sidney) past and future, as well as the exact nature of the group controlling or at least overseeing ‘passage’ to this safe house. However, watching the film it is very hard to decipher how things are working, who characters and voices are, and how they exactly relate. It’s meant to be a puzzle, but stronger connections are needed to help the audience navigate without confusion and frustration. How
Into the Wardrobe: 2095 by Jon Scieszka (1995)
As with other books I’ve been finding at thrift shops and using for Into the Wardrobe, the Time Warp Trio series is one I was too old for when it was originally published, so I’m completely new to it. According to Goodreads, the series went on for 16 volumes, and it spawned a television show adaptation.
738. Timeline (2003) — Torture Cinema #130
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/sand-f-738-timeline/SandF_738_Timeline.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSWeird romances, France propaganda, and Gerard Butler’s careless whisper, oh my! Shaun Duke, Paul Weimer, and Trish Matson join forces to tackle a time travel “classic” — Timeline! Together, they try to make sense of its plot, make fun of its treatment of medieval France, fawn over Gerard Butler, and get lost in thought about strange things that will make you giggle. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Special thanks to Trish for editing this beautiful episode! You rock!
735. Quantum Leap S1 (2022-2023) w/ Marshall Ryan Maresca — Screen Scouts
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/sand-f-735-quantum-leap-s-1-2022/SandF_735_Quantum_Leap_S1_2022.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSQuirky westerns, earthquake dads, and airplane shenanigans, oh my! Shaun Duke and Brandon O’Brien join forces w/ special guest and world-renowned Quantum Leap expert Marshall Ryan Maresca for an in-depth discussion of the first season of the NEW Quantum Leap (2022-2023). Together, they discuss how the show approaches the story left by its predecessor, how it addresses contemporary politics, whether Scott Bakula will come back, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!
458. Quantum Leap (Season 1; 1989) — Screen Scouts
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/sand-f-458-quantum-leap-s-1/SandF_458_Quantum_Leap_S1.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSSwiss cheese brain, questionable histories, and Al’s escapades, oh my! Shaun Duke, Brandon O’Brien, and Paul Weimer join forces w/ special guest Marshall Ryan Maresca for an in-depth discussion of the first season of Quantum Leap, a true classic of science fiction television. Together, they explore Scott Bakula’s star power, the show’s approach to history and relationships, why time travel doesn’t need answers, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!
395. See You Yesterday (2019) — At the Movies
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/sand-f-395-see-you-yesterday/SandF_395_SeeYouYesterday.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSTime travel, police brutality, and timey wimey ethics, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink join forces to discuss Stefon Bristol’s teen time travel adventure film, See You Yesterday. Togethery, they consider the timeliness of the film, how Bristol approaches black lives and contemporary politics concerning police brutality, the performances by the film’s young cast, and even the relationship of See You Yesterday to the time travel classic, Back to the Future. Plus much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!
