‘Passenger’ Review: An Unremarkable Haunting Story with a Van-Life Twist

André Øvredal's 2026 horror film 'Passenger' follows a couple who, after embracing van life, are stalked by a demonic entity. The plot incorporates the concept of 'hobo signs'—symbols used by transients to communicate. The review criticizes the film for its repetitive jump scares, weak structure, and lack of thematic depth, despite praising its cinematography and atmosphere.

The horror film Passenger, directed by André Øvredal, aims to terrify audiences with the vanlife lifestyle. The plot follows a couple who break a vanlife rule by stopping at an accident site and picking up a supernatural entity. However, because the story focuses on only one couple, the entity quickly loses its threat, reduced to jump scares and unable to pierce the leads' plot armor. The film also attempts to build supernatural lore, but it doesn't reach the level of villains like Samara.

André Øvredal's horror film ‘Passenger’ opens May 22. It follows a couple whose van life dream turns into a demonic nightmare on a night road. Critics praise inventive scares but note weak character development and mythology.