The Passenger

This movie was a bit of a breath of fresh air. It was different and quirky and possess a nice light hearted air to it.

Aesthetically this movie was a real pleasure. It looked amazing and it it was chock-full of interesting and dynamic shots that I really appreciated. While the quality of the picture was lovely, unfortunately the special effects didn't quite compete. What little CGI there was looked silly and the prosthetics didn't really read super well for me either. The acting seemed great as well coming from an English speaker, I quite enjoyed the main guy.

As far as the story went I felt like it was just barely enough, if not maybe not quite there. The pacing was a little bit slow which didn't help it out all too much. It just didn't really feel like there was much of a point or purpose behind the story other than just being a vehicle for a creature feature.

That being said this really was a pleasurable experience that felt fresh and unique. 6.5 rounding down to a 6, would recommend.

The Passenger came as a rather pleasant surprise.

This little Spanish horror comedy makes a lot with very little.

The story is predictable but it works primarily because of the great chemistry between the two lead actors. The proxy, father daughter relationship works well in the context of an end of the world style apocalypse. Both characters spark off one another in a positive, hopeful way, as this comedic horror romp, plays out.

In summary, the Passenger just goes to show that a decent story and quality acting, more than make up for a big bucks production. Well worth a look.

Not to be confused with the other horror-passenger from 2023. These two exact-titled movies couldn't be further apart. And spoiler, I enjoyed this one MUCH more.

Continuing into Ahhctober 2024, I chose another South American/Spanish-speaking horror movie (much like last year's When Evil Lurks.) Only, this one was NOWHERE near as good. Thank God for that ending tho!

This movie involves around a weird ride-share adventure with several unique passengers. Only, they happen to travel through an alien invasion turning everyone into...sorta zombies.

The lead-up to the finale wasn't bad. It was just standard with so many characters doing the exact opposite as they should to really survive a horror movie.

I just happened to love the third act. It's kinda foretold, but not really. To me, it was the perfect ending and two words to the filmmakers:

NO SEQUEL. End here. Okay, that's four words.

***

Final Thoughts: I would've certainly downgraded this movie so much more for those outlandish and stupid mistakes the characters make...repeatedly. It just redeemed itself with such a great ending.

Spanish thriller full of horror, humor and fine practical (and some CGI) effects. The monsters look like demonic zombies. There are splatter and some interesting comic shots which I really liked. The directors put a lot of emphasis on their characters, something that makes you care about them (surprisingly there is also heart). Even the 'annoying' snob teenager has managed to make her likable, which is not easy. You won't find bad performances. The driver in particular - a sharp, talkative guy - is a real delight. The film doesn't take itself entirely seriously, but it respects the rules of the genre. For example, when they wants to show a scene of suspense and horror, they won't ruin it by making humor, like in other movies.. An enjoyable hour and a half, I just think it deserved a better climax for the finale.

I truly think Mr. Blas's talents were wasted on this movie. I have seen a few of his other films and this was the first horror I have seen him in. I was not sure if the monsters were aliens, zombies, or body snatchers. This was the cheesiest of horror films that I have seen yet. The thing that killed this movie were the monsters and the two adult women. This movie might have been enjoyable with just the girl and Blas. They could both act but their talents in this movie did not shine bright enough to make you like it. I did want to see what happened in the end so at least half (5) ok, then I added a star because I like Blas. Any higher and I would be lying. I would not recommend, even if you are a Blas fan. I myself will not be watching it again either. But as always be your own judge.