Things Will Be Different (2024) [Halloween Horror Month]

Out now on VOD

Two estranged siblings meet up in a restaurant to head to a house in the woods to hide from the police. Something here is not what they expected and it’s pulling them apart. 

Written and directed by Michael Felker, the film feels very much like a Benson-Moorhead film and for good reason as they co-produced it and Felker edited many of their films. This one is definitely Felker’s though and he does great with the writing and direction, giving viewers a film that is the definition of slow-burn in the right way. The story here takes its time to develop and does so while keeping the attention and bringing all these bits and pieces together in a cohesive manner. The film does take its time, but it works and that is all that really matters here. The story is solid, with a few bits that could have been shortened, and the direction works well with the writing. This is definitely a labor of love for the genre and a film that feels like it’s part of the same universe as The Endless, Something in the Dirt, and maybe even Synchronic which Felker edited. 

The cast here is fairly limited with most of the interactions being between the central brother and sister who are played by Adam David Thompson and Riley Dandy respectively. The both of them give solid, nuanced performances and really connect the story to the viewers by giving it and the leads humanity. They are imperfect characters played almost perfectly. Their performances are what the film stands and relies on to sell its story, its characters, and its own reality. The rest of the cast gets very little screen time, but they do well with what they have. 

Another of the film’s strengths is the cinematography by Carissa Dorson (and team) who frames the scenes just right, giving them style but not overtaking the story, giving the viewer an easy to watch film that makes the house it almost all takes place into a new character. The way it is filmed, the framing, the lighting showcase the house’s décor and set dressing just right and those two elements are strong as well here. The look of the film is great and it really helps pulling people into the story.  

Thing Will Be Different will appeal greatly to a very specific audience and will likely not work for many others. It’s officially a horror-sci-fi-thriller, but the human aspect, the drama works so well here that it almost changes the genre of the film. It’s layered film with nuanced performances that work fantastically well within its own confines, freeing the characters to be themselves and shine within their story. This is one of those strong sci-fi films that are more low key sci-fi than in your face, bombastic sci-fi. This is mellow film with a lot going for it. It’s a film that has its own world and makes the most of it.