I certainly can’t be the only one who feels like the past few years have been as oppressive feeling as an anti-social stranger who’s attached themselves to my side for one wild ride while insisting that I’m not meeting my full potential. Granted, this passenger isn’t technically going on a rampage in the name of vigilante justice, but don’t think it hasn’t crossed the line a few times when it comes to pain and anguish. All that in mind, it’s no surprise I was so moved by Carter Smith’s (The Ruins, Swallowed) horror/thriller The Passenger, a slow-burn heartbreaker that deftly marries shocking violence with two empathetic leads who represent two sides of the same coin – witnessing the before and after of unalterable trauma, resulting in motivations and actions both heinous and, somehow, completely fathomable.

The Passenger is a two-hander that relies heavily on the chemistry between co-stars Kyle Gallner (SMILE, Mother, May I?) and Johnny Berchtold (Snow Falls), brilliantly playing maniacal Benson and doe-eyed milksop Randolph, respectively. With a plot that slowly unfolds after a shocking opening scene, the film may ruffle feathers with an audience that prefers gratuitous violence over unflinching commentary – that to say, the violence in the film is carefully curated to peel layer by layer of the story as it unfolds, and it is in no way fun ride.

What The Passenger is, is buddy road trip film where one buddy is a dangerous but alluring man determined to help the younger buddy rise to his full potential after witnessing unchecked gutlessness against incessant bullying. As Benson challenges Randolph at every turn, Randolph finds the strength, and even the suppressed anger hiding deep within himself, to leave his past behind and gather the courage to take a stand against the oppressive nature of his reputation and, eventually, Benson’s brief reign of terror.

It’s surprising that The Passenger is presented under the Blumhouse banner, as there is a grit and grime that is, unfortunately, not often seen in the studio’s pictures. It does, however, remind me of Beth de Araújo’s Soft & Quiet, an equally brutal and effective little indie that was released by Blumhouse in 2022. These two films have audacity built into the narrative, unafraid of taking huge risks in their small stories, with the impact resting solely on the fearless performances of the actors within.

Kyle Gallner is no stranger to taking wild and impactful swings in the characters he embodies; from Simon, the controversial heartthrob in the instant cult classic punk-romance Dinner in America, to a contemporary Huck Finn in the unintentionally hilarious and touching crime-thriller Band of Robbers, Gallner doesn’t shy away from playing complicated and dark ne’er do wells, doing so in a way that’s undeniably humanizing. Gallner’s approach to the character of Benson adds a sympathetic element that I don’t think would come through as clearly in another actor’s hands. I hadn’t known of Johnny Berchtold before The Passenger, but after his disarming portrayal of mangenue Randolph, I’m all the way in on this actor and am excited to see what’s next, holding out hope that he’ll be exploring more of these bold roles in the future.

The Passenger is one of my favorite films of 2023, daring to tell a simple story in a way that captures the edginess and dark spirit of the times, forcing the audience to face their worst fears, and showing the complicated nature of a doomed friendship between two men who are more alike than they could ever imagine.

💀💀💀💀💀/5