Passenger Movie Review: This relentless highway horror is one hell of a ride

Story: When a couple pulls over on a secluded road, they end up making the biggest mistake of their life, as dark things begin to unfold on what turns out to be a most unending and unforgiving road trip.Review: "People don't take trips, trips take people" - a phrase that hits differently every time we hear of an untoward incident on a journey. Especially a road trip, where whatever can go wrong, often does, and usually at full speed. So when Tyler (Jacob Scipio) and Maddie (Lou Llobell) shift gears and embark on a life-altering journey in their new home - a Recreational Vehicle (RV), purchased after selling off their suburban house, the couple believes they're steering toward a life full of exciting and challenging encounters. But destiny, it turns out, has its own roadmap, as it reroutes them straight into the path of a dark entity that spells doom for those who dare drive lonely roads after nightfall.Director André Øvredal drives his narrative entirely through the eyes of the roadsters who live life on the move. The film's immersive, atmospheric setting is a significant plus, keeping the audience engaged purely because it pulls them along unpredictable highways that feel like characters in their own right. The film opens with a chilling sequence, which is always a strong ignition point for a horror thriller and writer Jack Stanley ensures it stays the course with relentless focus on one couple that becomes the target of an evil and mysterious entity. For a road movie, there are a few unpredictable twists, and while the jump scares are somewhat formulaic, they are mostly effective. What truly keeps the screenplay revved up, however, is the chemistry between the lead pair and the simmering uncertainty around just how these evil turn of events will play out in their relationship. Both Scipio and Llobell breathe enough realism into their characters to make their fears, insecurities, and vulnerabilities feel lived-in and believable. Even when the horror itself doesn't land with the full impact it should, it is their interpersonal dynamic that keeps you buckled in for the ride. For its entire runtime, Øvredal ensures his audience never exits the vehicle, squarely transported into the film's dark and claustrophobic setting, which is clearly a big win for an experiential horror thriller of this kind.WherePassenger loses traction is in its backstory and the justification for the ghostly happenings. While it may have felt like veering into cliché to pad the narrative with a sob story of a wronged ghost seeking revenge on innocent wanderers, some solid grounding from the past would have given the mayhem far more mileage. The absence of that weight is a missed turn the film never quite recovers from. Nonetheless, Roman Osin's cinematography ensures the dread on the road feels visceral and tension-soaked, while Christopher Young's background score aptly complements the spooky proceedings, hitting every unsettling note right on cue.Overall, Passenger is an effective big-screen horror that knows precisely how to get under the skin of its audience. With few but relatable characters, identifiable situations, and an unforgiving stretch of road drama, this one manages to throw the audience's fears into overdrive - enough to make you drive a little safer, and think twice before stopping on a dark highway on your way home from the cinema.