Passenger review: Road to hell – worth a ride     

Director André Øvredal’s supernatural horror has adequate chills but loses wheels just when it’s about to hit top gear. Lou Llobel is a fine young talent.

Rating: (2. 5 / 5)

By Mayur Lookhar

Cinema is a good way to beat the heat, but this week, be prepared for some chills as a few Hollywood horror flicks hit Indian screens. Paramount’s Passenger (2026) intrigued us with its spooky trailer. As it turns out, the trailer is the first scene of the film, so the rest of its world is yet to be explored.

Story

Maddie (Lou Llobell) and Tyler (Jacob Scipio) hit the road in their van, hoping to spend some quality time away from the hustle and bustle of city life. A speeding vehicle nearly scrapes past them, leaving Maddie scared. This is the same car we saw at the beginning of the film. Soon, Maddie and Tyler encounter this vehicle again, which has crashed a few miles ahead. Maddie’s decision to help the badly wounded driver proves costly, as an evil entity has now set its sights on them. Is there any escape from this road to hell? Can they rescue themselves from an unwanted evil passenger?

Screenplay & Direction

Penned by Zachary Donohue and T.W. Burgess, Norwegian filmmaker André Øvredal – best known for Trollhunter (2010) and The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)- dives into dark spaces both on the road and partly in the mind. This horror also serves as a subtle social commentary on hobo life, reminding us that while life on the road has its own thrills, the real peace lies in having a home.  The film taps into a modern social anxiety: the myth of van life as freedom and escape. Tread carefully on highways, and more importantly, never attract unwanted passengers on the road.

The film’s poster made a bold claim: 130 million people take road trips annually, but 15,400 of them go missing and are never seen again. We couldn’t find any credible source to back up this missing persons data. The film’s notable dialogue/caution is clear: “People don’t take trips. Trips take people.” This chilling line captures the very essence on which this horror film rides – the terrifying notion that the road itself is alive, hunting and consuming those who dare to travel it.

Its biblical reference to St. Christopher – the patron saint of travelers – fits organically into the dark narrative and eventually becomes the gateway to breaking free from the clutches of the dark entity.

The horror ride is gripping in its first hour, providing adequate chills, but loses its wheels just when it’s about to hit top gear. Early on, you’re scared to move a limb, but after traveling miles, the fear factor begins to erode like its burning rubber and dwindling gas, denying the film of a climax that it deserved.

Acting

We’re introduced to these unheralded talents in Jacob Scipio and Lou Llobell. It’s literally “ride or die” for Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024) actor Scipio, initially impressing as the ideal boyfriend. Tyler is a man who finds peace in hitting the roads in his caravan. He’s fairly competent but slightly drops his guard in the climax – pin that on the weak screenplay. For Maddie, this one relationship is true, having endured a tough early life moving from one foster home to another. Ah, why do dark entities often prey on orphans? What’s with Llobell and these trips? She made her film debut with Voyagers (2021), then came The Pilgrim (2021). We haven’t watched these films, but Llobell certainly likes travelling. While you wouldn’t wish such a horror road trip, the Spanish-Zimbabwean actress has a fine screen presence and backs it with the requisite intensity for a horror film. The chemistry reflects not just in their relationship but in their choices: Maddie places more faith in tech and a Bob Marley bobblehead, while Tyler carries a St. Christopher pendant.  Beating the supernatural requires not just faith, but technology too, which makes it more believable.

Given how this film largely hinges on its two protagonists and the evil passenger (Joseph Lopez), the film firmly rides on the shoulders of Scipio and Llobell. This fine performance only adds to their growing stature.

Technical Aspects

The night, and the largely empty freeways, carry natural fear, but André Øvredal and his team create genuine eerie moments rather than resorting to clichéd jump scares. More than outside, the real fear is inside the van, often when Maddie is alone. The orange metallic exterior helps it shine in the dark, while the interior design and dim lighting create a constant fear of an evil presence around. Among the scariest scenes, though, is the couple watching Roman Holiday via a portable projector in the woods. Øvredal opts for more natural sounds and reactions than excessive BGM. If only the climax matched the eerie creativity of the preceding scenes. But then again, often in the climax, the protagonists overcome the fear and decide to take the evil head-on.

Final word

A successful road trip horror encounters roadblocks, stays full of tension, and carries fear all the way. The Jeepers Creepers franchise is perhaps the scariest film in this genre, but Passenger, without really going diabolical, is eerie and worth its hellish ride.