REVIEW: ‘Things Will Be Different’ Sets The Bar For Indie Sci-Fi

A truly imaginative, galaxy-brained piece of genre filmmaking, Things Will Be Different rolls out the red carpet for a fresh new voice in writer/director Michael Felker. In the science fiction landscape, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are markers of quality. Their work on the mind-bending films Resolution, The Endless, and Something in the Dirt continually strengthens their cult following. On a more mainstream level, the episodes they’ve directed for Moon Knight and Loki rise above the increasingly scrutinized Marvel Cinematic Universe output.

Most admirably, they take on the role of producers for films that introduce fresh directorial talent. For example, She Dies Tomorrow and After Midnight put a spotlight on the talents of Amy Seimetz, Jeremy Gardner, and Christian Stella. The latest Benson/Moorhead executive producer venture, Things Will Be Different, is the crown jewel of the 2024 SXSW film festival.

Trying too hard to describe the plot of Things Will Be Different is a fool’s errand. It’s an at-times purposefully obtuse puzzle box of a movie. As Felker stated in a post-film Q&A, it’s designed for discussion afterward with a friend at a coffee shop. The core is the relationship between siblings Joseph (Adam David Thompson) and Sydney (Riley Dandy). They’ve come together to pull off a robbery that will help set Sydney up for the future. Adam David Thompson is fantastic in the role of Joseph. He’s the protective older brother who hides behind his eyes a deep regret we begin to understand the root of. Moreover, Riley Dandy is the standoffish little sister. Dandy’s Sydney is a prickly character. Nonetheless, she suggests deeper layers of hurt and her own regrets.

The first sign that there’s much more to Things Will Be Different than meets the eye comes from the siblings’ method of hideout. Joseph leads Sydney to an abandoned farmhouse. By following a meticulous set of instructions involving a closet, an old phone, and clocks, the two transport to another time. Or perhaps, a place outside of space or time. Cinematographer Carissa Dorson frames their transportation as entering a black void. This is one of many simple, stunning, and simply stunning images.

Once they arrive in their cosmic hideout, Things Will Be Different lets the fun and games begin. A playful montage shows how Joseph and Sydney spend their two weeks hiding out on the timeline. They drink, they dance, and they get closer to one another. The movie’s soundtracked by a delightful earworm of an original song, “Time Keeps Dancing.” It’s performed by one of the film’s two composers, Jimmy Lavalle, with vocals by Heather Woods Broderick and Lorna Dune. It’s one of two great pieces of original music. The other, “Shadow Dance,” by Dune and Keith “Sweaty” Milgaten, has me begging for a soundtrack release.

Things Will Be Different kicks into high gear whenever Joseph and Sydney can’t leave their hideout. They hear an unknown force mostly via tape recorder, instructing them to follow detailed instructions. If they accomplish the tasks, they will be let out safely. The methods for communication with this force are deliciously low-fi. It uses a series of signposts, a tape recorder, and a safe. Nevertheless, the big ideas at play here boggle the mind. It’s catnip for those obsessed with science fiction lore.

The more Things Will Be Different adds to the complexity, the more confident it gets. The creators may not intend viewers to understand everything on their first watch. It doesn’t matter, though, because Michael Felker understands. The key to a good mind-bender is being in trusted hands. Specifically, revisiting the film will reward viewers with deeper insight. I’ve been turning over the film for several days now and it just gets clearer.

It’s impressive that Things Will Be Different threads the needle as well as it does between the big ideas and family drama. It;s easy to feel like a kite in a storm in a film like this. But with Joseph and Sydney at the center, I never lost faith. Whether or not the intricacies of the plot lose the audience, the relationship between siblings never does. Things Will Be Different comes to a satisfying conclusion. Not all questions are answered, but the important ones are.

Things Will Be Different feels utterly fresh. Science fiction is currently synonymous with VFX-heavy blockbusters. There, the effects take precedence over the story. Michael Felker’s debut really digs into big ideas and human interaction with those big ideas. It’s the ideal for movies like this and a must-see. More than that, the film is a good indicator of where the science fiction genre could go if entrusted to filmmakers with smaller budgets and bigger imaginations. Things Will Be Different is a work of science fiction genius that deserves to become a cult classic.

Things Will Be Different screened as a part of the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival.