Passenger is a 2026 American supernatural horror film directed by André Øvredal and starring Lou Llobell, Melissa Leo, Jacob Scipio, and more. The film is available to stream on Paramount+.

The film follows a couple, Maddie and Tyler, who decide to leave behind their busy city life in search of something quieter by embracing the van-life lifestyle. But their peaceful escape quickly turns into a nightmare when they pull over on a remote road after witnessing a car crash.

Unfortunately, they are unable to save the driver who dies at the scene. The following morning, the couple notices three mysterious claw marks on their van, marks that look eerily similar to those found on the crashed vehicle. From there, strange and unnatural occurrences begin to unfold, forcing Maddie and Tyler to fight for their survival against something they don’t understand.

Let’s be honest: Passenger isn’t bringing anything particularly new to the supernatural horror genre. We’ve seen variations of this story before, and the overall premise is simple. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t entertaining.

The movie has several genuinely creepy moments, and I thought the sound design and production design did a great job creating an unsettling atmosphere. There are moments when the movie knows exactly how to make you feel uncomfortable without necessarily showing you everything, and that’s always a win when it comes to horror.

The suspense also works well. The film keeps the tension simmering throughout, and even when you can predict where certain things are headed, it does enough to keep you invested in what happens next.

Is Passenger reinventing the wheel? Absolutely not. But sometimes a horror movie doesn’t need to. If the atmosphere works, the suspense is there, and you get a few good scares along the way, I’m good.

Couple of Critics Verdict: Passenger is a solid supernatural horror movie that’s more entertaining than original. The storyline is straightforward, but the creepy atmosphere, effective sound design, and suspense help make up for what the story lacks in originality.
It’s not going to change the horror genre, but it’s worth the ride.