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Horror Film Plays With Your Mind, Not Just Your Fears
24 May
Summary
- The film uses the familiar sounds of driving to build ominous tension.
- A recurring visual motif uses camera rotation to show driver's perception.
- The narrative blurs the lines between reality and supernatural visions.
Ingeniously plotted, this horror film crafts dread by playing with perception, indulging in supernatural thrills. The familiar routines and sounds of driving become ominous signs of incoming disaster as a mysterious figure haunts American highways.
The film announces a rigorous visual style from the start, with a recurring motif of a camera turning on its axis inside a vehicle. This technique captures a driver's limited field of vision, creating suspense as characters grow uncertain of what is real.
Larger themes emerge with protagonist Maddie, exploring the tension between settled home life and the call of the open road. Six weeks into their journey, cracks appear in Maddie and Tyler's relationship, with the romantic view of van life challenged by practical difficulties.
The couple experiences a terrifying encounter with a dangerous driver, who later crashes. When they stop to help, an unseen force intervenes, blurring the line between reality and fantasy for Maddie.
A particularly imaginative sequence sees Maddie questioning her sanity as the van seems to move on its own in an empty parking lot. This narrative feat ties together emotional and supernatural stakes, setting up a surprising third act.
In the final act, Maddie and Tyler become warriors against the evil entity, the 'Passenger'. The film leans into its sillier aspects, culminating in nightmarish imagery and a battle between heaven and hell, worthy of acclaimed horror films.
