Going off the grid in a van has its hazards in the half-scary ‘Passenger’

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It seems obvious – when traveling, especially at night in secluded areas – that you shouldn’t stop your car. Still, the new horror film “Passenger,” directed by André Øvredal, aims to reinforce this simple safety message. Unfortunately, the film tries too hard to explain things, which ultimately makes it less scary and diminishes the enjoyment of road trips.

The story begins with a disastrous roadside stop. When one man is violently attacked, the survivor’s attempt to escape is thwarted by a strange, recurring figure. This unsettling man, looking as if he stepped out of a bygone era, repeatedly appears in the headlights, making it clear he isn’t there to help.

Tyler and Maddie, a young, attractive couple living in New York City, are about to embark on a life of travel. They’ve sold their belongings to live and roam in a bright orange van, a dream primarily driven by Tyler. While initially hesitant, Maddie embraces the idea after Tyler’s proposal. They feel protected on their journey by two lucky charms: a Bob Ross bobblehead, reminding them to embrace imperfections, and a St. Christopher medallion hanging in the van.

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Six weeks into their journey, while driving on a wet, winding road, a speeding Honda nearly forces them off the road before crashing. They stop to help, but quickly realize it’s no ordinary accident when they spot a strange man in the distance who vanishes as they turn on their hazard lights. Later, at a gathering of people living in vans called Burning Van, Maddie is disturbed by a wall covered in missing persons notices. Another van dweller, Diane, warns her that a dangerous, ancient evil targets travelers who stop overnight in isolated places. However, a terrifying attack by a monstrous, withered creature in a deserted parking lot suggests the warning comes too late.

As often happens with films of this type, explaining the source of the horror—which draws from both old hobo signals and religious stories—ends up lessening its impact instead of enhancing it. The scares themselves aren’t very strong, largely because the director, André Øvredal, reveals his scary moments too obviously, almost as if he’s signaling them in advance. This could also be a way to keep the audience from noticing the many illogical parts of the story written by Zachary Donohue and T.W. Burgess.

The movie starts with a strangely fun scene: a peaceful outdoor movie night is crashed, and suddenly the faces of classic stars like Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn appear on the trees, leading to chaos. However, the rest of the film tries too hard to be epic and supernatural, when it would have been better as a simple, scary thriller. It doesn’t live up to the tension of classic road movies like “Duel” or “The Hitcher,” or even the quirky feel of “Lost in America.” Ultimately, it feels like a safety feature that doesn’t quite work as expected – a bit underwhelming and ineffective.

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2026-05-22 20:01