After seeing director Andre Øvredal tackle an adaptation of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and some loosely-inspired Dracula and Norse mythology stories, it’s immensely refreshing to see him attempt to deliver something purely original with his latest film, Passenger. Sadly, Passenger tries to fly by on concept alone and doesn’t have enough goods to keep the experience remotely engaging or scary.
The film follows couple Maddie (Lou Llobell) and Tyler (Jacob Scipio) as they begin their new life on the road together, even getting engaged along the way. However, their new nomad living is upended when a roadside stop makes them prey for a relentless spirit who stalks them. Øvredal has quickly become well-regarded among horror fans for his ability to craft some strong scares and his eye for memorable creature designs—both of which are unfortunately scarce in Passenger. There are a handful of good jump scares that’ll easily make you jolt in your seat as well as some awesome aesthetics.
There’s an amazing scene with Maddie and Tyler trying to spot something in the woods with a projector that plasters an old movie across trees. The visuals are stunning and it heightens the intensity in a way that undeniably culminates in the best scene of the film. However, the scares quickly become formulaic. You can see some jump scares from miles away and it tanks the film’s ability to maintain a chilling atmosphere or surprise you. Øvredal also overplays his hand with these spinning shots that are super nauseating and don’t look good. Not to mention, the design of the film’s titular demonic force is wildly generic and wouldn’t even muster a shriek if it didn’t come with cheap, loud noises with nearly every appearance.
All in all, Passenger just doesn’t have the juice to stay scary and it’s such a shame because its story centers on an interesting sect of American culture. Writers Zachary Donohue and T.W. Burgess’s vision for a horror story at the heart of America’s nomadland and road trip culture boasts so much potential for an under the surface horror tale. The use of “hobo culture” markings as warning signs is really cool and the idea of “The Passenger” being this roadway boogeyman has incredible potential for depth. But the script barely scratches the surface on any of the film’s best ideas. We barely spend any time exploring the mythology of the open road or this bustling van life culture Maddie and Tyler encounter at hub spots. The lore-building is limited to a few internet searches, which misses a grand opportunity to have some real campfire story moments that elevate The Passenger’s mythos and presence. It’s all presented in stereotypical fashion for a ghost story, with zero nuance or uniqueness for it to stand apart. Even some of the religious subtext surrounding St. Christopher (the patron saint of travelers) is terribly misused. It’s constantly forced in to give the film some type of spiritual backbone, but misses out on actually building out this world.
Even worse, its characters and narrative are equally as thin and underwhelming. Maddie and Tyler are as hollow as they come. They’re completely defined by their relationship and the differing views they have about their van life aspirations. But even when the film tries to dig deeper into them or their issues, it barely makes an impact. It just feels like something to fill the gaps between scares and it’s remarkably boring to watch. The performances are also super stiff. Llobell and Scipio do have some decent chemistry, but the material they’re working with is so shallow that they can barely do anything but deliver sparkless lines. Then, Melissa Leo is bizarrely shoved into this film as another nomad Maddie comes across. Essentially, she’s just a weak harbinger who offers nothing but weak exposition dumps and one of the dumbest decisions by a horror character in recent memory.
At a time when we’re getting incredible horror films like Obsession, Faces of Death, and (hopefully) Backrooms that innovate and create fresh excitement in the genre, Passenger is just a woeful disappointment. Its horror potential is gravely untapped and is constantly overshadowed by lackluster story beats, characters and scares. Given that Øvredal is such a hot name in horror, this is one of those head-scratching misses that horror fans won’t leave happy with.
