Director: Jeff Darling
Two strangers thrown together on a stretch of American highway drive most of the tension in He Went That Way, a 2024 crime thriller built around a road trip that keeps curdling into something darker.
What is He Went That Way about?
Jim Grabb makes his living training animals for film and television, and in 1964 he takes his star chimpanzee, Spanky, on a cross-country haul that should be routine. Somewhere along the route he picks up a young hitchhiker, Bobby, whose easy charm papers over an unsettling restlessness. The two men fall into an uneasy rhythm on the road, trading stories and small kindnesses even as Jim starts noticing details that do not add up. Zachary Quinto plays Jim as a quietly watchful professional who trusts animals more readily than people, while Jacob Elordi's Bobby shifts between boyish warmth and something colder in the space of a scene. Director Jeff Darling paces the film like a slow burn, letting empty diners, motel rooms and long stretches of asphalt do as much work as the dialogue. What begins as an odd-couple buddy story tightens into a study of how easily companionship can mask danger, without ever tipping its hand too early.
Cast & crew
Zachary Quinto anchors the film with a low-key, observational performance that keeps Jim sympathetic without ever making him naive. Jacob Elordi, coming off a run of high-profile roles, leans into Bobby's unpredictability, letting warmth and menace sit side by side in the same expression. Patrick J. Adams appears as a supporting figure drawn into the pair's orbit, adding another layer of unease to a cast that stays small and focused by design.
Context & significance
He Went That Way draws loosely on a real 1964 road trip, filtering it through the genre conventions of crime drama rather than straight biography. Jeff Darling, working from a screenplay that favors mood over exposition, keeps the film's period setting understated, with muted color and unhurried editing that recall classic American road movies. Critics have noted the film's IMDb rating of 5.1 reflects a divided response to its deliberate pacing, though the central performances have drawn more consistent praise. At 95 minutes, it stays tightly focused on the two leads rather than expanding into a broader ensemble piece.
Where & how to watch
He Went That Way is available to watch on K-Time with a Persian-dubbed audio track, alongside the original English version. A free account login unlocks streaming, and the site's Farsi-language interface makes browsing and searching straightforward for Persian-speaking viewers. This page itself is free to read without signing in.