Passenger [2026] – Movie Review (3/5)

PASSENGER is a folk horror story that plays out on the road. It has elements of supernatural horror, monster horror, and psychological horror. Whatever works for you, this delivers on moments that are extremely creepy and efficient. Read our full Passenger (2026) horror movie review here!

PASSENGER is a horror movie from André Øvredal, who has already delivered on folk horror and monster horror in the past. While this 2026 release may have elements that are familiar (even predictable), the timing of the scares and the eerily creepy vibe is spot-on for me.

Of course, I did also watch this movie after having spent a good 20 hours on the road, driving from the South of Europe to the North. It gave the setting a familiarity that made me quite relieved I didn’t watch this movie before that road trip. I say this as someone who watched Breakdown (1997) in a theater before driving through the desert in California. Not smart!

Continue reading our 2026 Passenger horror movie review below. Find it in US theaters from May 22, 2026.

Don’t Ever Stop

From the opening scene of Passenger, which is amazing in that perfectly terrifying kind of way, to the wild ending, this movie was a surprise treat for me.

In Passenger, we meet a young couple who have just sold everything they own to live “The Van Life” as nomads. They may not entirely agree on how long this adventure will last, but they are heading out on the open road for an adventure.

Unfortunately, just a few weeks in, they witness a violent accident on a remote road. As a result, they do what most people would and stop to check on the people in the car and call for help. Well, big mistake. Huge!

Once they leave the crash scene, something has clearly attached itself to them. At first, only the woman in the car experiences this “attachment”, but they will both learn that a demonic presence called the Passenger has attached itself to them.

Perfect casting makes it come together

For any horror movie to work, you need the casting to be on point. And yes, obviously, this goes for any movie, but with horror movies that have supernatural plots, it does tend to be even more important. If you don’t buy what these characters are selling, then the horror doesn’t work.

Even worse is if you don’t care for the characters, because then you don’t care what happens to them either.

With Lou Llobell and Jacob Scipio as the couple at the center of Passenger, I very much cared about the characters. These two came across as a very organic couple who cared for and about each other while also having personal desires that needed to be addressed. However, all of this happened in a healthy way. I loved that!

Also, what a scoop to have Oscar-winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter, Prisoners, Frozen River) as a seasoned nomad who tries to warn and teach them a few things. Including the advice to never stop at night, which is when you shouldn’t be driving anyway.

I should also mention Joseph Lopez, who plays the personification of the “Passenger”. At the very first glimpse of him, I found myself thinking “Aunt Gladys?!” but that didn’t last… well, the creepy factor did, but that’s about it.

Watch Passenger (2026) in theaters

As already mentioned, André Øvredal is the director of Passenger, and I do love his style when it comes to setting the mood for a horror movie. The Norwegian director previously directed movies such as Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016), Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019), and The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023).

The screenplay comes from T.W. Burgess and Zachary Donohue, who are two screenwriters I am not familiar with. As much as I did enjoy this movie, I think it could have gone terribly wrong in the hands of a less capable genre director. It is not the strongest plot, but it works as an overall horror movie.

Also, I do have to give credit to the screenwriters for creating likable characters. Especially the couple at the center of Passenger, who you have to root for and care about for this movie to work. I did, and as a result, the movie does work. While I didn’t expect too much from this movie, I was pleasantly surprised. I hope (and expect) most horror fans will be as well.

Passenger is out in US theaters from May 22, 2026.

Details

Director: André Øvredal
Writers: Zachary Donohue & T.W. Burgess
Cast: Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell and Melissa Leo

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