There’s something very strange about thinking of Haley Joel Osment as an adult. We’re all so used to seeing the actor as a child in several big movies, including FORREST GUMP, THE SIXTH SENSE, PAY IT FORWARD and Steven Spielberg’s A.I., to name but a few. Bottom line is he was quite good. But as often happens with child actors, there’s that stage between the adorable youth and adulthood where Hollywood doesn’t quite know what to do with them. Well, he’s back and headlining a movie, and (get ready to really feel old) he’s actually 26 now… a child actor no more. The film is I’LL FOLLOW YOU DOWN, and it’s now playing in select theaters and on Digital HD.
The story opens in the year 2000 by introducing us to Marika (Gillian Anderson) and Gabe (Rufus Sewell), and their son Erol. Gabe is a brilliant scientist, and is leaving at the airport for a trip that should only last a few days. But he disappears, never to be seen again. Marika is devastated, and as the years pass she never breaks free of her mourning. Cut to present day, Erol is now in college, and like his father is quite brilliant, so much so he knows all the answers even when arriving late to the class his grandfather Sal (Victor Garber) teaches. Erol is also very much in love with Grace (Susanna Fournier), who wants more of his attention, though he spends most of it looking after his grieving mom. One day Sal reveals to Erol that Gabe may have actually found a way to travel through time, and he hopes between the two of them they can figure out how and why. Initially Erol dives into the research, but Grace begins feeling neglected, and he must decide if the past is more important that the present. As tragedies begin to happen, Erol starts to wonder if going back in time is the only way to ever solve all his problems in life.
It almost feels weird calling I’LL FOLLOW YOU DOWN a time travel movie, as at its core it’s a character piece and rather moving drama. Writer/director Richie Mehta is methodical in his storytelling, weaving together a story with subtle progression. Moments of happiness lead into heartbreak, then fascinating discovery, keeping the audience guessing throughout. You never really know quite where things are headed, even right up to the shocking final moments. What’s nice is the time travel, which is still a big part of the tale, never oversteps the characters. Some sci-fi films allow the leads and their development to fall victim to the fantastical elements becoming more important than the characters themselves. Not here, the characters are the most important part, and they stay that way which is refreshing.
I have to say I was quite impressed with Haley Joel Osment. He doesn’t have the leading man “movie star” look about him these days, if anything quite the opposite. With a scruffy face and mop-like hair, I bought into him being a modest genius of a young man. Osment feels very real in this role, perhaps much more than some pretty boy big name actor ever could have hoped to. If this doesn’t become a comeback performance for him, it’s certainly a step in the right direction. Gillian Anderson plays a much more vulnerable character than we’re used to seeing with her, and it’s tragic and powerful. I would have liked more with her in the film, but she makes the most of the time she’s in there. Rufus Sewell is also used sparingly, but considering all the villains he’s played through the years, it’s nice to see him being the good guy again. The always wonderful Victor Garber gets some great moments in the story, and his interactions with Osment are very strong – the two play well off each other. I also have to give points to Susanna Fournier as Grace, who plays the frustrated girlfriend realistically without overdoing it. Again, it’s a little odd seeing Osment with a love interest, but the two of them are very good together.
The best part of I’LL FOLLOW YOU DOWN is how it gets unexpectedly dark on more than one occasion. To me the concept of time travel is already rather scary at its core. The ramifications are so severe and unknown, even the contemplation of it is rather frightening, but it’s easy to see why it’s such a frequent element in film. For those wondering, without going into any major spoilers, there are elements of the story that pay off with the time travel background it builds on, and those moments are done in a very smart fashion. Toward the end I felt like I was watching a long episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, and in the best possible way.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
This looks really good. Can’t wait to see it.
Osment had a love interest in “Sassy Pants,” but he was playing a gay character in that one. Very few people have seen it, as it didn’t get a wide release in 2012. Hope this new movie brings him back to a wider audience, because it’s so rare to see talented child actors go on to do well (only a handful really make it, like Jodie Foster and Christian Bale). According to IMDB it comes out August 5th, 2014 in theaters.
This was hands down the best sci-fi film of 2014, it ties everything together perfectly, and the subplots all very honest. Everything about this movie is A+.