Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of Indy horror movies or thrillers that are oddly effective in telling a good story on a small budget.  The Passenger is another such film. It’s not trying to do anything special except keep the viewer engaged in the characters on screen and in what they are doing. Sometimes that’s all you need to tell an effective story.  Throw in a long little blood and guts for good measure.

Bradley (Johnny Berchtold, Gaslit), as he’s called, even though it’s his last name, is a normal teen. He works at a run-of-the-mill burger joint in his local town. He works with an uptight boss who is on his ass all the time, a bully who hits on the only piece of ass at the restaurant, and a loner who takes pity on him. When the bully goes too far the loner (Kyle Gallner, Smile) takes things into his own hands and the film is off and running from this point.

This film is a two-hander as these two guys go on a road trip all around the area and to other towns. While on road driving around the two get to know each other. There is like a big brother aspect in some regards to this story. The relationship between these two gets a little crazy as the film progresses. The more they share with one another about their pasts the more the film goes into a different gear. 

The two lead actors Berchtold and Gallner have a good back and forth. Berchtold’s character starts to come out of his shell the more Gallners character pokes and prods him.  They both play these characters in different ways to get to a similar place in the story. The shy nervous character has to be pushed until he is pushed so far by the confident tough guy. Like a mother bird pushing her chick out of the nest to learn to fly on its own.

The filmmaker Carter Smith and the writer Jack Stanley use popular tropes but twist them in interesting ways. There is a relatability to these characters on a mentor-mentee level. When things start to escalate to a place of no return the characters have to flip and the meek and mild character has to take over because the one who takes control of the situation.  This story has merit in society and I can see why people, especially young people, could relate to this story.

With this being a crime thriller or horror film if you will there is a violent nature to the story. Right off the back the blood and guts go flying.  It was a surprise to see what happens at the beginning of the film. As the movie progresses the violence assumes and the blood and guts get worse. That’s what elevates this story from a run-of-the-mill TV movie. 

The Passenger isn’t your normal horror film or thriller. It’s a two-hander that focuses on the transition between these two characters. One who is meek and mild and gets pushed around and one who is tough and looking to take his anger out on those he deems worthy. That’s the heart of the story. These two need to get to their places in the story. The violence is complementary to the story and shocking at the beginning but necessary in the end. This is a pleasant surprise I didn’t see coming. 

3 ½ stars

Dan Skip Allen