He Went That Way

He Went That Way is a 2023 American crime drama film directed by Jeffrey Darling in his directorial debut. It is based on an account where the serial killer Larry Ranes encountered animal trainer Dave Pitts. It stars Jacob Elordi and Zachary Quinto.

It had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 9, 2023. It was released by Vertical Entertainment in the United States on January 5, 2024.

Premise
The film follows Jim Goodwin, an animal trainer accompanied by his pet chimpanzee, who picks up a hitchhiker later revealed to be a serial killer. It is inspired by real life events involving serial killer Larry Lee Ranes.

Cast

 * Jacob Elordi as Bobby Falls, a serial killer based on Larry Lee Ranes
 * Zachary Quinto as Jim Goodwin, an animal trainer based on Dave Pitts
 * Patrick J. Adams as Saul
 * Troy Evans as Hank
 * Alexandra Doke as Whitney
 * John Lee Ames as Ratso

Production
He Went That Way was announced on June 2, 2021, at the virtual Marché du Film, when it was reported that Jacob Elordi and Zachary Quinto would star in the thriller based on Conrad Hilberry's non-fiction book Luke Karamazov. The film was produced by Head Gear Films, Teashop Productions, and Mister Smith Entertainment. It was the directorial debut of Jeffrey Darling, who died in a surfing accident in North Palm Beach in Sydney, Australia on March 27, 2022. It is based on a screenplay by Evan M. Wiener. According to executive producer Phil Hunt, the production was able to cast Quinto by going through a friend of the actor instead of his agent. Filming took place on location in Los Angeles, California.

Release
The film premiered at the Tribeca Festival on June 9, 2023. In October 2023, Vertical Entertainment acquired distribution rights to the film. It was released in a limited release on January 5, 2024, prior to video on demand on January 12, 2024.

Reception
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that "it plays like a tonally uncertain blend of desert neo-noir, prickly buddy movie, misfit character study and crime thriller, with zero psychological grounding and even less suspense". Christian Zilko of IndieWire called the film "a competent but emotionally thin story", and gave it a grade of B−.

Patrice Witherspoon of Screen Rant described the film as "a dumpster fire from start to finish", criticizing the plot, tonal shifts, and performances, except for Quinto's performance, which she praised as the film's highlights.