El pasajero

This movie is mischaracterized as a horror. It's definitely more of a suspense/psychological drama.

That being said, I thought it was rather enjoyable, with award-winning performances by Gallner and Berchtold. Can't stress enough how much Gallner's presence carries the overall average script.

The writing can feel a little flat, and the pacing sort of dies off after the first act. But, all in all, it's a decently solid film, with some interesting ideas about the balance of passivity versus aggression in relation to Randy and Benson. The main characters both stand as pillars of each side. And the narrative seems to pose the question of what is truly functional and healthy behavior when dealing with past trauma and present conflict.

Would highly recommend a watch, just for the performances alone. Looking forward to catching more of Gallner and Berchtold down the road. Great actors with promising careers ahead of them.

The acting is impressive across the board, with everyone's performance hitting the mark. But with much of the film featuring the two leads alone with each other it's Berchtold and Gallner who really get to shine.

A ride well worth taking, The Passenger is a hard film to watch, but most viewers will find it harder to turn it off. It's brutal both physically and emotionally and becomes increasingly more suspenseful as it builds to a seemingly inevitable climax.

It becomes something more than just the standard Hollywood psycho just as The Passenger is something other than the typical Hollywood thriller.

The story can be told in just a couple of sentences; as a matter of fact, there is not much in the plot. It does not even adhere to the typical structure of a linear narrative! It is more like a montage of sequences pieced together that mimics the construct of a typical three-act screenplay.

Nevertheless, this effectively puts forth moments of drama that effortlessly induce anxiety and tension. Largely owing to a set of terrific performances given by our two leads, Kyle Gallner and Johnny Berchtold.

Suffice it to say that their sincere acts elevated the script to the next level. If only the story got answers to some of the queries I had, I would have been more generous with my rating. Other than that, this one's a solid watch.

Highly recommended for the 'arthouse' enthusiasts.

I didn't know anything about The Passenger when I turned it on. I expected another bland throw-away streaming movie that I either hate or does nothing for me. But it surprised me in more than one way. It hits hard, and it doesn't take long to do it.

The performances by both leads are fantastic. Kyle Gallner is really starting to impress me. I've seen him in other things. But his performances in this and Smile have solidified him as someone who makes me more excited to see a movie.

It does a great job of getting you emotionally invested in the characters and their arcs. And there are numerous intense scenes.

I can't fully explain why I don't love this more. It's good but still feels more like a streaming movie than a theatrical one. And I don't see myself watching it again. But I'm glad I did and I had a good time.

(1 viewing, 3/14/2024)

A young man, who's not living, but merely existing, has his life changed or awaken by a deranged and violent coworker one workday. A shocking incident sends both men on an unpredictable, violent and ultimately inspirational journey to self-discovery for one man and a doomed ending for the other man. Oddly, the deranged violent coworker, played masterfully by the always versatile and great Kyle Gallner, is an effective life coach to his timid coworker. Sure his methods are unorthodox and psychotic, but he gets the job done. Gallner is a perfect balance of uneasy calmness and explosive rage, and his final scene saying what he wanted to be as a child was sadly and beautifully acted. If a critically-acclaimed studio produced this movie or it pushed a certain political agenda, he would have been nominated for the "big" primetime award. Mostly everything behind and in front of the camera works, but something was missing. I don't know if it's in the drawn-out mall scene, but something's missing. I appreciate the ambiguous writing behind what happened to Benson (Gallner) as a child. His emotions when running into his past was enough. A good movie that takes you on a thrill ride, simmers some, thrills a little more, and then it just ends.