Passenger (English) Review {2.0/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell
Director: André Øvredal
Passenger Movie Review Synopsis:
PASSENGER is the story of a couple on the run. Tyler (Jacob Scipio) is in a relationship with Maddie (Lou Llobell), and both embark on a road trip in their van, starting from New York City. Tyler proposes to Maddie and she accepts. However, she also feels stifled after being on the road for six weeks. Tyler, meanwhile, seems to be enjoying the experience. One night, they see a man named Lucas (Miles Fowler) speeding past them. They let him go and moments later, they see that he has crashed his car into a tree. They immediately call for help and even get out of their van to assist him. From that point on, their life turns into hell. A mysterious claw mark emerges on their vehicle and Maddie senses someone around her. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Passenger Movie Story Review:
Zachary Donohue and T W Burgess' story has the trappings of a scare fest. Zachary Donohue and T W Burgess' screenplay is engaging but also has its share of dragging and insipid moments. The dialogues are conversational.
André Øvredal's direction is decent. He keeps the runtime in check (94 minutes) and peppers the film with exhilarating moments. The intro is chilling and funny and sets the mood. The scene where the lovers are watching the film on a projector when disaster strikes is memorable. The climax is clapworthy.
On the flipside, the narrative is not consistent and, in some places, the pace drops and gets repetitive. The whole angle of Maddie and Tyler's past is underwhelming and it should have been better explained. The scare element could have been better, especially after a promising start. Lastly, Tyler comes in touch with fellow van travellers and popular van expert, Brad Fuller (James William Clark). Ideally, many of them would have known about The Passenger and in today's times, it would have spread like wildfire on the internet. Except for Diana (Melissa Leo), the others spoke about it only in hushed tones or seemed ignorant, which is not digestible.
Passenger Movie Review Performances:
Jacob Scipio and Lou Llobell deliver performances which are decent at best. They do very well in the climax, though. James William Clark is okay in a cameo. Melissa Leo (Diana Marsh) lends able support. Miles Fowler and Alan Trong (Daniel) steal the show, despite having cameo appearances. Lastly, Joseph Lopez (The Passenger) is terrifying.
Passenger movie music and other technical aspects:
Christopher Young's music is functional. Federico Verardi's cinematography is terrific. The 360-degree revolving camerawork, especially at the beginning of the film, is quite immersive. The VFX is satisfactory. The action is intended to be gory like it is in today's times, but it seems forced. Martin Bernfeld's editing is slick.
Passenger Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, PASSENGER rests on an interesting premise and has a few chilling, well-shot moments. However, the uneven narrative and limited scare quotient prevent it from emerging as a truly gripping horror thriller.