Young couple Maddie (Lou Llobell) and Tyler (Jacob Scipio) have decided to give up their Brooklyn apartment and live life on the road in their new van. Six weeks into their journey, they are driving down a dark road on a stormy night when they see an accident on the side of the road, so they pull over to check on the driver of the crashed car. Maddie notices a mysterious dark figure staring at them from the distance, but he’s gone by the time Tyler aims the flashlight on the wooded area. They decide to spend the night at a motel, but the next morning discover some scratches on the side of their van—which look identical to ones they saw on the wrecked vehicle. Something doesn’t feel quite right, and Maddie starts to worry—the novelty of this van life is already starting to wear off for her.

Over the next few days, Maddie keeps seeing this dark figure—it’s like he’s following them. She hears strange noises and things just look and feel off, but when she inspects at the van’s security camera footage, nothing appears out of the ordinary. The couple makes their way to a “Burning Van” celebration, where Maddie sees a bulletin board covered in missing persons posters, as well as the symbol that was scratched on their car. She meets another traveler named Diane (Melissa Leo), who goes white when Maddie tells her about the accident site. She warns Maddie to “stay off the quiet roads, don’t drive at night, and never stop.” However, it’s too late. By stopping at that accident, Maddie and Tyler have been marked for death by some sort of demonic presence known as the Passenger, and now it is hunting them in the darkness, trying to hitch a ride to kill them. Can they find a way to reverse this curse and escape their deadly fate?!

Passenger is a solid thriller the builds and maintains the tension throughout. It’s a tight 94 minutes that doesn’t waste a lot of time on filler. The viewer is constantly put on the edge of their seat, with lots of jump scares, and excellent use of the soundscape to create a creepy an unsettling ambiance. It’s one of those horror movies that you just know something bad is going to happen, but you can’t look away. The film wastes no time showing you exactly what to expect, setting up an initial attack from this mysterious Passenger in the cold open. Then we follow this young couple as they become its next targets. Can they find some kind of protection or way to reverse this? As they try to research what they are up against, their predicament just sounds even worse.

The situation is so simple and basic that it feels relatable to the viewer. Who hasn’t driven down a dark road at night and wondered if something is out there?! Just the simple act of stopping your car is enough to make this Passenger hitch a ride and target you for death. Can you trust what you see? Maddie is constantly looking at the van’s dashcam footage, but it never seems to capture what she is sure she witnessed. And if you let your guard down at all, the Passenger will take advantage of the encroaching darkness to make his approach and attack. It’s a terrifying situation for which there seems to be no escape.

Paramount has released Passenger on Blu-ray, DVD & 4K Digital. We were sent the Blu-ray release for review, and even in HD, the presentation looks and sounds amazing. Much of the film takes place in the dark, since that is when the Passenger is able to make his move. The blacks are black, and the picture remains clean and detailed throughout. The film has some creative 360 degree panning shots, where you never know what you’re going to see once things get back around to the start, and these are captured beautifully. The Dolby Atmos audio track is phenomenal, providing clear dialogue and a creepy, immersive atmosphere throughout. Maddie is constantly hearing unsettling sounds—whether it’s fast-paced footsteps behind her, the cracking of branches in the woods, or banging and creaking on the van. There’s even one scene where you hear the thumping of a heartbeat and I wasn’t so sure it wasn’t my own.

The Blu-ray disc is packed in a standard HD keepcase along with a glossy cardboard slipcover and an insert with instructions on how to redeem an HD digital copy of the movie (Note, if you choose to redeem via Apple, it will redeem in 4K). Unfortunately the disc is barebones and doesn’t include any bonus material—not even the film’s trailer!

What’s Included:

Film: (1:34:03)

Blu-ray:

• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English Audio Description, German 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish (Latin America) 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital,
• Subtitles: English, English SDH, German, Spanish (Latin America), French, Turkish

Digital:

• Digital Copy redeemable via Apple TV (4K) or Fandango at Home (HD). This is not Movies Anywhere compatible.
• Code subject to expiration, may not be valid after 9/8/2028

Extras :

There is no bonus material included on this release.

Final Thoughts:

Passenger is a tense and unsettling thriller that builds the tension quickly and maintains it throughout the film. I first saw this in the theater, but even watching for the second time on this Blu-ray, I still found myself on the edge of my seat. Paramount’s Blu-ray release looks great and sounds amazing—the audio presentation is quite impressive and provides a thoroughly-immersive experience. Unfortunately the disc is barebones and doesn’t include any bonus material, but the release still comes recommended based on the film itself. For those on the fence before a blind buy, the film is currently streaming on Paramount+.