Dir: Andre Ovredal
Cast: Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell, Melissa Leo
While this road trip horror mostly follows a tired and predictable route, two strong lead performances and Ovredal’s knock for crafting real scares and a creepy atmosphere keep it from veering completely off course
Norwegian filmmaker Andre Ovredal has quietly carved out a reputation as an efficient craftsman of modern horror over the past decade. After his breakout with the slyly humorous dark fantasy “Trollhunter” in 2010, Ovredal delivered a string of chilling, if underappreciated, horror gems. Though he has never written these films himself, his talent lies in conjuring not just scares, but a thick, lingering atmosphere of unease. Nowhere is this more evident than in his superb 2016 supernatural thriller “The Autopsy of Jane Doe”. This tightly wound, claustrophobic tale follows a father-son coroner duo, played by Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch, as a routine autopsy spirals into a night of escalating terror. Despite its pulpy title and seemingly thin premise, Ovredal upends expectations, crafting a genuinely frightening film. His meticulous sound design and the suffocating, confined setting let dread seep in naturally, building tension without resorting to cheap jump scares.
Ovredal’s growing acclaim propelled him into the Hollywood spotlight, where he tackled two major horror adaptations of iconic literary horrors from vastly different eras. In 2019, he brought “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” to life, reviving the childhood nightmares of a generation raised on the eerie book series. Then, in 2023, he set sail with “The Last Voyage of Demeter”, dramatizing one of the most haunting chapters from Bram Stoker’s gothic classic “Dracula” as the infamous count journeys to England aboard the doomed ship.
With the horror genre reaching new heights of creativity in recent years, I was eager to see Ovredal tackle a script brimming with originality and substance. Sadly, his latest film, “Passenger”, falls short of those hopes. In a 12-month period crowded with smart, provocative horror like “Sinners”, “Obsession”, and “Weapons”, this new release feels like a throwback to the formulaic supernatural chillers of the early 2010s, when studios churned out “Paranormal Activity” imitators in search of easy scares.
“Passenger” reimagines the haunted house formula by putting its restless spirit on wheels. Following a tone-setting cold open where two friends are attacked by an unseen force, we meet Maddie (Lou Llobell) and Tyler (Jacob Scipio), a newly engaged couple who trade their Brooklyn apartment for a life of adventure as vanlifers. Their journey takes a sinister turn when they witness a crash involving one of the film’s earlier victims. Strange symbols found on the wrecked car soon appear on their own tricked-out van, transforming their home-on-the-road into a rolling nightmare as they cross state lines.
When Maddie confides in seasoned traveller Diane (Melissa Leo), the film’s resident harbinger of doom, she’s warned about the unwritten rules of the nomad community: never drive lonely roads at night, and if you must, never stop. Of course, Maddie and Tyler have already broken these rules, and soon they are drawn into the van’s growing web of supernatural disturbances, including eerie glimpses of the enigmatic “passenger”.
Despite Ovredal’s seasoned hand, he can only do so much with the clunky, outdated script from first-time screenwriters Zachary Donohue and T. W. Burgess. Their inexperience is evident as the film stumbles through predictable scares and misses any chance to explore deeper themes or original emotional stakes that might have elevated its outlandish premise. At first, the shadowy, mostly unseen “passenger” stirs genuine curiosity—could the menace be supernatural, demonic, or even extra-terrestrial? The initial ambiguity works in Ovredal’s favour, letting him weave his signature tension and dread. But as the film lumbers on and the dialogue spells out every secret, the mystery evaporates, the chills dissipate, and the story veers into well-worn territory.
The film’s troubles are compounded by a bewildering marketing strategy, with a trailer that spoils the entire cold open before audiences even step into the theatre. This not only robs the film of its initial suspense but also undermines the impact of a scene that could have set the tone for everything to follow. Still, Ovredal’s craftsmanship keeps the movie from completely derailing. He masterfully conjures dread and tension, transforming the open road into a claustrophobic nightmare. Even as Maddie and Tyler chase freedom, Ovredal traps them—and us—inside the suffocating confines of their rolling home.
Ovredal occasionally dips into familiar jump scare territory, but he does so with a creative touch that sets him apart from lesser directors. The scares are plentiful enough to jolt you, yet he avoids the tired formula of drawn-out silence followed by a sudden shock. Instead, he ingeniously uses the van’s mechanical lights—headlights, flickering tail lights, and most memorably, a projector. In one standout sequence, the protagonists use their home media system as a makeshift flashlight, sweeping the woods with the glowing images of William Wyler’s classic “Roman Holiday”, never knowing if the “passenger” will emerge from the illuminated darkness.
Jacob Scipio and Lou Llobell breathe life into a script that often borders on the ridiculous, grounding their characters with genuine warmth and authenticity. While the vanlife dream might not appeal to everyone, the couple’s wide-eyed optimism and free-spirited energy make their choices believable. Maddie’s hesitance, shaped by a difficult childhood in foster care, is softened by her devotion to Tyler, and their believable affection raises the emotional stakes—even as the film barrels toward its undeniably goofy finale.
Perhaps my expectations have been raised by the recent renaissance in horror, but while “Passenger” is a perfectly serviceable, if forgettable, slice of silly fun, it’s harmless enough for a Friday night with friends. Unlike “Jaws”, which kept people out of the water for years, I doubt this film will have anyone second-guessing a night-time drive.
Passenger is now showing in UK Cinemas
Dan Loves Film 
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