I was wowed by Norwegian André Øvredal’s Troll Hunter and The Autopsy of Jane Doe but then underwhelmed by the director’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and The Last Voyage of the Demeter .
Passenger falls in the middle of the road of his predominately horror projects.
We kick things off in style with an enticing sequence that, sadly, formed much of the film’s trailers where two friends on a late night drive make the mistake of pulling over for a bathroom break.
From there, attention shifts to couple Maddie (Lou Llobell) and Tyler (Jacob Scipio) as their attempt to begin a nomadic lifestyle is hampered by a demonic presence called The Passenger who won’t stop until it claims them both.
Øvredal relies on two methods to provoke terror; darkness and LOUD jump scares.
To say the latter is an overused trope in horror would be the ultimate understatement but Øvredal does deliver a couple of genuine shocks to the system while utilising slow circular camera shots.
And you’ll never look at classic flick Roman Holiday the same way again due to an inspired projection screening in the woods.
There’s an interesting lore to the titular menace too where religion and faith come into play.
However, following the gripping opening, it takes a little too long to get to the meat of the matter as Maddie and Tyler travel across the States.
They are an engaging couple, and it’s refreshing how quickly Tyler believes Maddie’s claims about the strange goings-on, but much of the first two-thirds feel like padding to flesh out the running time.
Joseph Lopez is imposing and eerie as The Passenger , although he gets bogged down with CGI come the climax, and Oscar winner Melissa Leo ( Diane ) emits a worthy amount of unease as a fellow traveller.
Passenger is no horror game-changer ala Obsession , but its sharp shocks and sinister antagonist ensure its a rough road worth taking – just don’t stop for a nighttime nap.
● Pop me an email at ian.bunting@reachplc.com and I will pass on any movie or TV show recommendations you have to your fellow readers.
Gerry Sloan said: “Spider-Noir on Amazon Prime is absolutely amazing.”
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● Passenger is available to buy or rent on Sky Store.
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