Passenger

"130 million people take road trips every year. 15,400 of them are never seen again."

2026 1h 34m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

🥫

46%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

5.5

IMDB

★7.3TMDB · 938🥫46%Rotten Tomatoes●52Metacritic★5.5IMDB · 21,458

HorrorThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After a young couple witnesses a gruesome highway accident, they soon realize they did not leave the crash scene alone, as a demonic presence called the Passenger that won't stop until it claims them both turns their van life adventure into a nightmare.

“130 million people take road trips every year. 15,400 of them are never seen again.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Paramount Plus PremiumSubscription

Paramount Plus EssentialSubscription

Paramount+ Amazon ChannelSubscription

Paramount+ Roku Premium ChannelSubscription

JustWatch TVRent

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Lou Llobell
Maddie Brecker
Jacob Scipio
Tyler Genocchio
Joseph Lopez
The Passenger
Melissa Leo
Diana Larson
Miles Fowler
Lucas Tedesco
Alan Trong
Daniel
Devielle Johnson
Neighborhood Watch Volunteer
James William Clark
Brad Fuller

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: André Øvredal
Writers: T.W. Burgess, Zachary Donohue
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released this year — you're seeing it while it's still in the cultural conversation.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Directed by André Øvredal, shot by Federico Verardi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Christopher Young. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Martin Bernfeld shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Lou Llobell and Jacob Scipio and Joseph Lopez carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "130 million people take road trips every year. 15,400 of them are never seen again.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt33763941 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

André Øvredal directs. Federico Verardi behind the camera. Christopher Young scores. Martin Bernfeld cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released this year — you're seeing it while it's still in the cultural conversation.
2Directed by André Øvredal, shot by Federico Verardi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Christopher Young. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Martin Bernfeld shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Lou Llobell and Jacob Scipio and Joseph Lopez carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "130 million people take road trips every year. 15,400 of them are never seen again.".
7IMDB entry: tt33763941 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 9 themes, including "stalker", "road trip", "evil spirit", "couple".

The technical file

Cinematography: Federico Verardi
Original score: Christopher Young
Editing: Martin Bernfeld
Production design: Sean Haworth
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $15,000,000
Box office: $31,620,508
Return: 211% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Passenger (2026)
Rotten Tomatoes: 46% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 52/100
IMDB rating: 5.5/10 · 21,458 votes
MPAA: R

Also by

André Øvredal

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2026-05-28
★ 6/10
"Tyler" (Jacob Scipio) and "Maddie" (Lou Llobell) are a young couple who have decided to abandon the urban rat-race. She has done some interior design work on their old van, and so the pair set off for a life on the road. To be fair, she is a little less convinced by the romance of this new lifestyle and that only gets worse when they witness a nasty road accident on their first night out. That's just the start of their horrors though as things quite literally start going bump in the night. Is their new home possessed by some malevolent spirit? Well at a chance meeting at a camp of similar travellers, they are advised by "Diana" (Melissa Leo) of a code of conduct to protect them from the menacing "Passenger". That legend all stems from the story of St. Christopher who journeyed the land with a colleague whom everyone assumed was just as benign. It turns out, though, that this companion was in fact a demon who, now replete with his own dog collar, is bent on murderously terrifying all who make the mistake of stopping on the roadside after dark. This is all very procedural stuff and neither the acting nor the writing offer us anything new, but the use of the dark and the largely rural settings, coupled with some fairly intense camerawork and audio editing leaves us with what is, at times, quite a scary little thriller that has a denouement that I did rather enjoy. No, you'll never remember it and it slots nicely into the genre's production-line approach to movies, but it's watchable enough.
Dean2026-05-31
★ 8/10
Passenger is a highly effective, incredibly tense supernatural thriller that breathes fresh, malevolent life into the road-trip horror subgenre, turning the concept of "van life" into a rolling prison of psychological dread. Director André Øvredal masterfully uses the cramped confines of a vehicle and the isolating darkness of the open road to build a slow-burn masterclass in atmospheric tension. The supernatural elements are handled with great restraint, relying heavily on deep shadows, sudden shifts in perspective, and excellent sound design rather than cheap jump scares. Grounded by strong performances that keep the stakes intensely human, the film excels at maintaining a white-knuckle pace. Backed by gorgeous night-time cinematography and a relentless sense of isolation, it delivers an incredibly solid, genuinely spooky horror experience.
Sierbahnn2026-07-19
★ 6/10
This was quite lovely. The tension builds because you get to know the characters and you can invest in their well-being. They aren't easily exchangeable teenagers being trapped in a cabin in the woods. These are two individuals with backstory and motivations that are trapped in a moving hell of their own making. The passenger is a fantastic monster and it doesn't get a reveal too early, which would have cheapened it. Instead, it gets built up in exposition and in tension until it becomes quite frightening. I had a good time watching this movie, and I recommend it to all those who are planning to go on a van trip