Jacob Elordi has been through some chilling films of late. We saw him play perhaps the coldest version of Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, while in Saltburn he was a handsome rich kid who became the obsession of a devious Barry Keoghan. But neither role has anything on what Elordi does in true crime thriller He Went That Way, a film that reminds you it’s always a bad idea to pick up hitchhikers. Those of us who listen to murder podcasts already know this.
As seen in the new trailer, Elordi plays Bobby, a 19-year-old hitchhiker who catches a ride with Jim, a celebrity animal trainer played by Zachary Quinto. The journey is fraught with tension as their personalities clash, making the trip even more dangerous. As they travel across Route 66, it becomes clear that Bobby is a serial killer, and Jim tries to strike a deal to get out of the situation safely.
We see Bobby talking to cops about his time spent with Jim before the footage flashes back to their car ride. It’s unclear how things play out, but if you know the story of serial killer Larry Lee Ranes, captured in Conrad Hilberry’s book Luke Karamazov, then you know why true crime podcasts eat that shit up.
The film is directed by Jeffrey Darling from a script by Evan M. Wiener. Also in the cast are Patrick J. Adams and Troy Evans.
Here’s the synopsis: Set in 1964, He Went That Way is a taut thriller based on a true crime story that puts a wicked spin on the buddy road trip film. The film follows 19-year-old serial killer Bobby (Jacob Elordi) as he is picked up by a celebrity animal handler, Jim (Zachary Quinto), on a desolate stretch of Route 66 with priceless cargo in tow: Jim’s chimpanzee, Spanky, an American TV darling. As stress between Bobby and Jim rises and their fiery personalities combust, the road only becomes more treacherous the farther they go.
He Went That Way opens in select theaters January 5th 2024, VOD on January 12th.