‘The Passenger’ (2023) Review – An Unnerving Thrill Ride

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

For those not in the know, Carter Smith is quickly becoming something of Queer horror icon as of late. After directing the absolutely terrifying The Ruins, his first feature, he kept working in the industry yet wasn’t given a chance to tackle anything notable until his 2019 entry into Blumhouse’s short-lived holiday themed horror series Into the Dark. His film was entitled Midnight Kiss, which featured a slasher dressed up in kinky leather and overflowing with queerness. In other words, it was perfection. He followed this up with Swallowed, another highly interesting and overly queer themed horror film, which became infamous for using an adult film actor in its lead.

Now, his latest film, The Passenger, is another home run for the director. The film introduces us to Randolph, a loser who is getting bullied by his co-workers at a fast-food restaurant. Benson (Kyle Gallner), another co-worker, witnesses this and, in a haunting scene, calmly goes to his car and guns down the two bullies and his boss. Just as we think he is about to kill Randolph as well, he instead takes him hostage. Benson decides that he wants to use this “quality time” to coach Randolph on being less of a human doormat. As you might imagine, this weird form of therapy has deadly outcomes in this white-knuckle thriller.

The Passenger has one of the most disturbing opening scenes that you are likely to see this year. Wisely the scene plays out just as cold and detached as the act itself. It’s made more unnerving because of its realism. Smith never pulls his punches, and the impact of this opening goes a long way in setting the tone for this strange road-trip movie. But the movie isn’t shocking for shock value’s sake, and wisely the brutality is kept to a minimum, making the moments when it does happen effective. Speaking of less is more, giving Benson a vague backstory is truly a stroke of genius. Also adding a lot of mood and tension are brilliant cinematography and well thought out production design.

The glue that makes this movie work is the lead actors. Johnny Berchtold has been paying his dues in acting for almost a decade, and this is finally his breakout moment. Berchtold gives one of the most heartbreaking and compelling performances this year. While his co-star Kyle Gallner also brings heavy emotional moments, it’s Berchtold who is tasked with being the emotional centerpiece for this film. Counter to this is Scream King Kyle Gallner, who is among the most exciting actors to break into the mainstream. Gallner brings layers to his role as Benson, and it’s a nice mix of James Dean’s cool and Mickey Knox a la Natural Born Killers. He always knows exactly where the line is and balances his performance on a razor’s edge. Together, the two have this odd chemistry that really works. Whilst The Passenger isn’t queer horror, you cannot deny this weird sexual tension between the two. This was something Smith confirmed in a recent interview with GVN, which adds a nice off-kilter aspect that hits well with an already bizarre road movie.

As good as the movie is, it does suffer from some issues. Mainly, some shaggy plotting serves to clutter an otherwise lean and mean thriller. Certain scenes and plot points are setup, but it never feels like they add to the overall narrative. Thus, at times it feels like things lack focus.

Despite this, The Passenger is a movie that will stick with you long after the credits roll. Haunting, harrowing and at times darkly funny, Carter Smith delivers yet another interesting genre entry. It’s a film that grips you from its bleak opening to its tragic finale.

The Passenger will be available on Digital and On Demand on August 4, 2023 courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment and MGM+. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBUYCbf3r4U]