In this nail-biting thriller, Dr. Lewis Shaler (Dougray Scott, Mission: Impossible II) boards a late night train with his young son, Max. As he chats with a friendly fellow passenger, Sarah (Kara Tointon, EastEnders), he idly wonders why the train isn’t following its normal route. When the train hurtles past their stops, Shaler and the other passengers realize something is seriously wrong. Communications are down and the emergency brakes don’t work. As the train rockets dangerously down the tracks and crashes through whatever is put in its path, Shaler and the rest of the passengers take matters into their own hands. But they’re no match for this multi-ton monster careening down a path to utter destruction.
For thoughts on Last Passenger, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Last Passenger comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation in its original 2.35:1 which captures the film flawlessly. This is a single-location narrative which means you are not going to have a chance to witness numerous landscapes, but the interiors you are treated to are very detailed in their own way. The splendor manifests in the way you can see an incredible amount of detail in the textures of the clothing and in the production design. The skin tones look very detailed and natural all around with some cuts and scratches incurred as the film goes along. The white levels are strong from the artificial lighting on the train along with the deep blacks that do not appear to suffer from any compression artifacts. Colors are not a standout aspect of this feature thanks to the metallic and antiseptic sheen of most of the setting, but certain articles of clothing and the orange of the fire radiate off the screen. There are no instances of intrusive digital noise in the presentation, but certain special effects shots look a bit soft. This presentation is very pleasing from Cohen Media Group.
Audio Quality
The film comes to Blu-Ray with an engaging DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track in the original English. The movie does feature some bursts of action near the end, but this is much more subdued and rooted in character than the cover art might suggest. The less intense moments still provide environmental activity such as the screeching of the train which comes through particularly well. The dialogue and sound effects are balanced well with the score where nothing gets overshadowed in the track. Surround channels get some nice activity from the mechanical noises to some key explosions. The score gives this film a sense of momentum as it flows through with flawless fidelity. The low end of the track does become active when the scene calls for it in a really memorable way. The film might not be as action-packed as you might expect, but this track packs a punch all the same. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
- B Roll: A six-minute collection of candid footage from the production of the film where the audience gets to be a fly on the wall.
- Featurette: A three-minute piece in which the cast and creative team discuss the basics of the story and their role in the film.
- Set Design: A four-minute piece in which Production Designer Jon Bunker discusses the inspirations and challenges for creating the contained reality of this story and how he mixed the practical with the visual effects.
- Sound Design: A two-minute conversation with Sound Design Editor Eilam Hoffman in which he discusses the unique audio journey the audience is taken on in this narrative.
- Visual Effects: A three-minute discussion with Visual Effects Supervisor Tim Smit in which he talks about the tricks that were implemented to pull off the visual effects in this film.
- Sound Bites: A 32-minute collection of conversations with Dougray Scott, David Schofiled, Lindsay Duncan, Writer-Director Omid Nooshin, Producer Zack Winfield, Executive Producer Stephen Norris, and many more creative figures who give some good insights into the film.
- Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Last Passenger is one of the best surprises we have come across in some time. The film is marketed to look like a mindless action-thriller with ridiculous stunts and over-the-top theatrics. While that stuff has a time and place, this story is actually much more reserved as it showcases how normal people might react when they are put into an impossible situation. The heightened action gets woven in a bit, but the thrills mostly come from the minor moments of trying to survive. It is really a feat of pot-boiler storytelling. Cohen Media Group and Kino Lorber have released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a decent assortment of special features. If you are in search of a well-made thrill ride, do yourself a favor and check this out. Highly Recommended
Last Passenger is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Cohen Media Group and Kino Lorber have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.