Between its slow pace and relatively isolated settings, "He Went That Way" didn't at first feel like a movie worth watching. But as time went, this 60s serial-killer story - based on real events - grew thick with suspense and made me want to know how it would all end.
Two men found themselves going in the same direction. A seemingly hapless entrepreneur and animal trainer named Jim - played exceptionally well by Zachary Quinto - ended up accepting a hitchhiker named Bobby - played intriguingly by Jacob Elordi.
And then there was the chimp. Called Spanky, the ape was apparently a TV star, but he and his owner were down on their luck. Neither Jim nor his trained companion initially knew that Bobby was a serial killer and thief who had already (presumably; in this movie) ended the lives of numerous people.
Just these three characters were the main focus of the entire movie. They were on the road and driving to Chicago. But somewhere along the way, truths revealed themselves and the proverbial brown stuff hit the fan.
Disturbed delinquent Bobby held Jim and Spanky hostage and didn't really know what to do with them, especially after spending all that time with the duo on the road. These portions were strangely emotional and portentous.
The script was simple and balanced by natural and nuanced performances from Quinto and Elordi. Their pitstops along the way brought a handful of characters onto the scene, each of whom did good work.
The story was set in the 60s, around the same time Elordi's real-life counterpart was going around killing people in the United States. In actual history, Larry Ranes was the murderer who'd inadvertently ended up meeting and driving with animal trainer Dave Pitts.
Quinto played Pitts and Elordi enlivened Ranes. The contrast between the two characters was elegantly balanced by the chimpanzee - who was played memorably by Phoenix Notary in an animatronic costume. She also happened to be the little girl who was smoking at one of Jim and Bobby's pitstops.
As the story progressed, some strange shade of Stockholm's Syndrome seemed to be unravelling. This only added to the enigma, especially after all those times Jim barely made any serious effort to alert people to Bobby's true nature.
"He Went That Way" was certainly not one of those movies that would've gotten everyone talking. But it managed to deliver decent entertainment and mild suspense, which gradually drove toward a memorable finale that was well worth the wait.
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Special shout-out to Christopher Guyton (as the gas station attendant), Troy Evans (as the motel desk clerk), Patrick J. Adams (as Saul), and Roman Arabia (as a car mechanic).
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