The Passenger
Directed by Carter Smith 
Written by Jack Stanley 
Starring Kyle Gallner, Johnny Berchtold and Liza Weil
Unrated
Runtime 94 minutes 
Available on Digital and On Demand August 4th

by Tori Potenza, Staff Writer

Writing a review in the midst of the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike is odd, but at the same time, it should make us all reflect on the importance of the craft and how essential these folks are because the stories they tell can be so meaningful. The Passenger is a perfect example of this. What starts off as a run-of-the-mill horror/thriller blossoms into a story about how we react to trauma and how easy it can be to let one event, define the course of your life. While some might be disappointed in the trajectory the story follows, it is much more unique than the stories it initially seems to emulate. The Passenger is a fascinating character study and something this beautiful and complex could only be made with the care that writers and actors bring to their craft. 

This is the sort of movie one may want to go in blind for, getting too many details upfront could do a disservice to what the movie ultimately pulls off. Up front, it feels like a thriller in the vein of The Hitcher, Duel, or The Guest. A dark mysterious figure finds innocent bystanders that become a part of their game, and the protagonist must do what they can to survive the destructive force they come up against. The protagonist does not get the opportunity to peek behind the mask and see what grand plan the stranger has in store, they are simply an unstoppable force with no history. But those are not the kind of projects Carter Smith is drawn to. His thriller Swallowed, which came out last year, made a big splash at festivals because it is a thriller that ultimately has a lot of heart. The Passenger is similar in this respect. It does not stick to the surface level, it delves deep into its characters which ultimately intensifies the thrilling and horrific elements of its story.

Kyle Gallner takes on the role of Benson, a quiet yet intense character whose sudden violent outburst changes the trajectory of his life, and that of his co-worker Randolph (Johnny Berchtold) whom he holds hostage. Gallner has a knack for picking offbeat projects that have a lot of heart. He also knows how to bring some nuance to each of his roles, no matter how similar the characters might seem. Mother May I?, Dinner in America, and Smile are just a few examples of how he wields his tough brooding exterior in completely different ways. The Passenger might be one of his best performances yet. There are so many subtle queues to Benson’s descent, much of which is pulled off with Gallner’s body language alone. The way he stands in a doorway or cracks his neck can say a lot more than a page's worth of dialogue. 

Johnny Berchtold does an incredible job holding his own in the various scenes he shares with Gallner. What starts off as a somewhat one-dimensional performance as a meek young man, opens up, giving him ample opportunities to share in some deeply moving moments with his co-stars.  In a film like The Hitcher, the mysterious stranger acts more like a shadow than a person. Something the protagonist looks into and even learns from, taking some bit of darkness to save themselves. However, The Passenger gives an opportunity for both characters to reflect as they open up to each other. The more we learn about Randolph, the more we learn about Benson. Much of this is done through visual queues and one scene in particular expertly utilizes quick edits and a voiceover to give us more understanding of Benson. 

While there is something to love about the stranger, the figure, the slasher even, there is another kind of terror we see when reconciling how complex these characters must really be.  They do not have some grand plan, their philosophical worldviews are often made in an attempt to protect themselves from pain. Hurt people hurt people, and Carter Smith and writer Jack Stanley clearly want to remind audiences of this. This is heightened with the introduction of Miss Beard, played by Liza Weil, who offers another outlook and an opportunity to find a different way of coping. It disenchants the incel, the proud boy, and the other figures that can terrify us in 2023. It also reveals a more sinister villain in the backdrop. As we follow Benson and Randolph on a destructive odyssey we see the desolate town they live in; a mall gutted of stores, boarded-up storefronts, and few opportunities for work. When poverty and lack of opportunities or resources impact an entire community, the future can seem like a fantasy to those who live there. 

All of these emotions might feel alien when you have an idea of how these kinds of movies usually play out, but it does not take away from the tension. There are shocking moments of brutality and violence and the attachment we ultimately have toward these characters heightens the stakes, especially in its incredibly tense finale. Smith is a director who manages to take what could be a grindhouse-style thriller and adds elements of restorative justice, revealing something real and very human by the end of the film. Perhaps an AI could pump out a Hitcher-esque reboot that follows tropes and beats we have seen before, but the attention to detail and heart that is felt throughout the movie could only be pulled off by real people, many of whom are striking and protesting at this moment. 

There is power in confronting our past, there is power in moving past our past, and there is power in speaking our truth and standing up to evil. In a world where so much seems wrong and there is so much bad that can consume us, Smith reminds us that we have the power and tools we need within ourselves and in our communities. The Passenger is a stunning combination of tense thrills, fun unhinged violence, and a moving drama. His ability to bring so many elements together along with incredible performances and writing makes you truly appreciate the craft of filmmaking.