"What-if" Theory: Jim & Tobey created Fromville

What if Jim and Tobey are secretly behind the events in From? I’ve always been suspicious of each of them individually, but now I’m wondering if they’re working together. They could have created Fromville—a Westworld-style town, but with unwitting participants. They might have chosen to place the Matthews family and Jade there for their own reasons. With Tobey’s programming expertise and Jim’s background in theme park experiences, they could have designed Fromville as an elaborate experiment.

Tobey’s character always felt suspicious, like he should have been more important to the story, yet his arc wasn’t fully explored. He’s the one who drove Jade into Fromville, with Jade clearly intoxicated and passed out in the backseat. After they crash, Tobey doesn’t check on Jade but instead stumbles into town, alerting the townspeople to their arrival. He’s almost immediately targeted, with Sarah being instructed to kill him and make it look like the monsters did it, as if someone wants Tobey out of the picture right away. There’s also the odd moment where Sarah kisses Tobey before doing the deed.

Jade and Tobey have been friends since childhood, but Jade’s superiority complex could have been wearing on Tobey, especially if Tobey is just as intelligent. Perhaps Tobey created Fromville to prove his own worth apart from Jade. In a twisted way, he might have even brought Jade into it to humble him, knowing that Jade would be unable to (or at least struggle to) escape.

Jim, meanwhile, is on the verge of losing his family due to his strained marriage with Tabitha. Perhaps he wanted to trap them in Fromville to force them to stay together long enough for him to win her back. Unlike Tobey, he wouldn’t want to be “eliminated” quickly—his goal might be to reunite his family by controlling their environment. Maybe he initially thought he could help them “escape” and be seen as the hero, but he underestimated their independence. This would explain his constant surprise and frustration when his efforts to control their survival, like the failed radio contact, don’t go as planned.

Jim’s confidence in the town’s safety might also explain why he’s so willing to leave his kids unattended, assuming they’d be safe no matter what. He volunteers to stay outside all night under the house, expecting the town’s rules would protect him.

Jim’s frustration with anyone who interacts with his family could be a sign of his desire to be their sole protector and guide. The town might have Westworld style “hosts,” like Victor or Sarah, who help others learn more about escaping. The more you interact with them, the more they reveal about the town and how to escape. Jim doesn’t want his family interacting with them, as he wants them to rely solely on him.

Tabitha has previously expressed frustration over Jim’s absence after their son Thomas’s death, saying he was at work “doing God knows what.” Maybe, in his grief, Jim started working on a project to create a controlled environment that would bring his family closer together through a survival scenario. He might have believed this would allow him to “save” them and be seen as a hero.

However, his plan backfires spectacularly. Instead of creating a reliance on him, the dangerous environment only pushes his family to solve the mysteries on their own, challenging his control. His initial confidence gives way to desperation as he realizes his family’s strength and independence.

Unlike Westworld, the characters in From are not aware they’re part of an experiment. Jim’s tragic attempt to heal his family through this “simulation” spirals out of control as his family and others resist his influence, showcasing their own resilience. The monsters and bizarre occurrences were perhaps intended as part of a controlled scenario, but the people inside Fromville start to push back, taking agency into their own hands rather than relying on Jim as their savior.