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Passenger (2026)


Passenger is directed by André Øvredal, known for The Autopsy of Jane Doe and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, with a script by Zachary Donohue and T.W. Burgess. The film centers around a demonic presence tied closely to the title itself, and when it focuses directly on the horror elements, it works surprisingly well. Øvredal still understands how to stage tension and build effective scares, but the material between those moments struggles to stay engaging. The pacing slows considerably whenever the horror steps aside, leaving the film feeling uneven overall.

Jacob Scipio, known for Bad Boys for Life and Expend4bles, takes on the boyfriend role but never fully feels like someone the audience naturally roots for. Whether intentional or not, his screen presence lacks the vulnerability or charisma needed to carry the quieter sections of the film. He handles the horror scenes competently enough, but the emotional connection never really forms.

Lou Llobell, known for Foundation, plays opposite Scipio and unfortunately gives a performance that feels too restrained for the material. The emotional reactions often come across flat or unconvincing, which hurts several scenes that depend heavily on fear and desperation. In a horror film built around tension and emotional escalation, that lack of expressiveness becomes difficult to ignore.

To the film’s credit, some of the scares genuinely land. Øvredal still knows how to frame disturbing imagery and create suspenseful sequences. The problem is that the movie’s strongest scare is already featured in the trailer, which removes some of the impact while watching the full film unfold.

Overall, Passenger has flashes of effective horror buried inside a film that struggles with character engagement and pacing. The scary moments show clear talent behind the camera, but the weaker performances and underwhelming material between the scares keep it from fully working. Passenger delivers a few memorable moments, but not enough to elevate the full experience. Result: C-

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