The Passenger delivers on intense situations at times, but at others feels too drawn out. Overall, it is the lead acting performances that saves it.
Note: This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The Passenger would not exist without the labor of the writers and actors in both unions.
For those who enjoy a movie that not only delivers intense, edge of your seat moments, but also a truly emotional story, The Passenger is right up their alley. This movie does a great job of keeping things entertaining, as viewers wait with their hearts pounding to see how it will all end up.
After Benson snaps during his shift at a fast food restaurant, he takes a quiet co-worker on a ride he was not anticipating. Vowing to help him learn to stand up for himself, Benson drives Bradley all around town, helping him confront those who have wronged him.
What Works With The Passenger
While it has some issues, which we will get into in a moment, this movie works overall largely due to the incredible and powerful lead acting performances by Kyle Gallner (Benson) and Johnny Berchtold (Bradley). The Passenger simply could not achieve what it does without them. They are the main focus of the entire film, and oftentimes are the only ones on screen.
If those watching do not believe their awkward and intense relationship, then the scenes are never terrifying or emotional when they need to be. Luckily, the two are fantastic at creating the chemistry in a way that makes it instantly believable, and clearly give their all in regards to their characters.
As for the pacing of the movie, it goes pretty quickly — for the most part anyways (more on that later). The Passenger has the perfect runtime for a movie of this genre, at around ninety minutes.
What Doesn’t Work With The Passenger
I know I just said that this movie has good pacing and it moves quickly, but there are a couple of scenes that seem to go on just a tad too long, causing it to drag. This isn’t a lot, and it is spread out enough to be forgiven, but these moments to occur. The editing is good, but if it was cleaned up just a little bit, it could have taken the movie to another level.
Because of the nature of this story, the supporting characters are there, and are important, but the light is mostly shone on the two leads. They are carrying the film. The two actors here are fantastic, but there are a few times that they can’t even save a scene that is too long.
Calling this movie predictable would not be fair, but it is clear that something big is going to happen, and it is fairly easy to weight out the possibilities.
Overall Thoughts
The Passenger is a chilling movie that puts the viewer in the same shoes as Bradley. We aren’t exactly sure what it going to happen, but we do know that the intensity of the movie seems to be leading up to a big climax. As Bradley is forced to explore his past, and secrets are revealed, we get closer and closer to discovering what that climax is.
When it hits, it ties the whole movie together. It is the two lead performances throughout, but in particular the scene outside the diner towards the end, that make The Passenger well worth watching. This film touches on mental illness and how the events we go through will shape us.
Rating: 3 out of 5
NEXT: Sympathy For The Devil Is Nic Cage Being Nic Cage
About The Passenger
Randy (Johnny Berchtold) is perfectly content fading into the background. But when his coworker Benson (Kyle Gallner) goes on a sudden and violent rampage leaving a trail of destruction in his wake, Randy is forced to face his fears and confront his troubled past to survive.
THE PASSENGER will be on Digital and On Demand on August 4, 2023 and coming to MGM+ later in 2023.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.