Passenger

Word of advise: when traveling on a highway at night…don’t stop. No matter what, do not stop. That seems to be the message in Ándre Øvredal’s Passenger.

***Warning…this review contains spoilers. Turn back if you don’t want to know***

Short Synopsis

If you have seen the trailer for this film, that trailer opens the film. Two young men on a road and one of them needs to relieve themselves from the watery build up in his bladder. They pull over and that’s when the attack begins. However, these two characters only open the film. The true synopsis follows a young couple, Maddie and Tyler, who consider trading the stable home for the van life independence. The couple set out on a highway to meet up with a larger group of van lifers and nomads. En route to the camp grounds, they connect with the cursed car from the opening. This short interaction introduces an evil highway man to follow the couple. The reason for the interest in the couple remains unknown, but there is only one way to ditch an evil passenger.

What I Enjoyed

I love how the trailer didn’t spoil the film, like most trailers do (especially when it comes to horror). The plot slowly unfolds throughout the film, constantly leaving questioning either what happening, what’s going to happen, or why is it happening. Even the supporting characters fail to answer the motive of the passenger, other than he’s evil. However, the plot unfolds as we follow Maddie’s work to uncover what is happening. Her research drops small breadcrumbs until we are finally told, which either confirms, or disproves, the audiences’ opinion.

The main characters’ backstory and their reason for ditching a stable home for van life, worked for me. Many people want a more simple life than just owning a house or a condo. Watching the two explore the openness of the road, being naive to historic tales and legends, put me right in the middle of their traumatic experience.

There were some jump scare moments, but I enjoyed how the plot drove the horror more than jump scares. It’s easy to increase the volume of a scene for horror effect, but much more artistic if the plot can push out the horror. For example, as Maddie makes her way to the van, the camera pans. Once it stops, a major shift occurs. This visual tied in with the plot added a stronger chilling effect than dropping loud sound effects.

There is one disturbing scene near the end which made me squirm in my seat. Maddie must drive over a field to reach their destination. The sound effects were on point, each squish struck a uneasy nerve while I was watching.

What Fell Flat (for me)

I felt unfulfilled without there being a motive. It seemed to simple by saying “evil highway man from hell.” I wasn’t expecting some deity to be the root cause of all the carnage and death. I guess because the trailer didn’t suggest a religious antagonist. I was expecting a Jeeper Creepers evil entity instead.

The film felt like I was reading Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, or watching an episode of Creepshow 2, minus the comedic twist. No matter where the couple went, the passenger was sure to follow them, even when they left the road. I suppose, somewhere in the plot there could be room for a sequel, but this is one film I would prefer there not be a sequel.

If rating on a five point scale, I would most likely rate the film a 3. I appreciated the cinematography and sound editing. Several scene where the audience becomes confused worked, but the overall plot needs a little more tightening.

If you watched, it, what are your thoughts? Share in the comments below.