Passenger (2026) | Film Review
- Adam Williams
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Some horror films arrive with a premise that immediately gets the imagination working overtime. For me, Passenger is one of those films. The trailer teased an unsettling concept packed with mystery, dread, and the promise of something genuinely memorable. That was until I watched the film. Unfortunately, while the idea itself remains intriguing throughout, the finished product never quite delivers.
That's not to say Passenger is a bad film. Far from it. There are enough decent performances, atmospheric moments, and flashes of creativity to keep things watchable. The problem is that it constantly feels like it's holding back from becoming something more. Every time the film appears ready to take a darker turn or fully embrace the potential of its central concept, it settles for the safer and more predictable option.
The biggest disappointment comes from the execution. On paper, the story is genuinely compelling, offering plenty of opportunities for psychological tension and sustained suspense. Instead, the film leans heavily on jump scares to generate reactions from the audience. While horror fans certainly don't mind a well-earned scare, Passenger quickly falls into the trap of using them as a substitute for genuine tension. They became annoying more than enjoyable, with only one or two actually hitting the desired effect.
Passenger (2026) | Film Review
What makes this even more frustrating is that those rare moments that do work prove the film was capable of much more. There are glimpses of a stronger horror movie buried beneath the surface – one that trusted its atmosphere and premise rather than relying so heavily on easy shocks. Those sequences offer a brief look at what Passenger could have been, making the missed opportunities all the more noticeable.
Visually, the film does enough to maintain interest, and there are stretches where the atmosphere creates a genuine sense of unease. Yet it never fully capitalises on them. The pacing occasionally drifts, the mystery becomes less engaging as answers begin to emerge, and the overall experience settles into something frustratingly average.
Perhaps the greatest issue is that the trailer ultimately proves more effective than the film itself. The marketing promised a tense and inventive horror experience, but the final product struggles to deliver on that promise. By the time the credits roll, there's a lingering feeling that the filmmakers had the foundations for something far more memorable but never found the confidence to push the concept far enough.
In the end, Passenger is an easy enough watch that never becomes outright unpleasant. I didn't hate it, and there are certainly worse horror films that released this year – this one just didn’t deliver. I thoroughly enjoyed most of André Øvredal’s previous films, particularly Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) & The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023), so I went into this with some expectations and found it difficult to shake the sense of disappointment leaving Odeon. With a stronger script, fewer reliance on jump scares, and a greater willingness to explore its central idea, this could have been something genuinely special.
Instead, Passenger remains a frustratingly mediocre horror film – one built around a good concept that deserved a much better execution. I’d probably say worth watching once, but nothing more than that.
Passenger is out now, you can check out the trailer below.
