Carona Aterrorizante

I enjoyed this movie from the start. It grips you in and keeps you invested until the end. The performances are really what carry it and the unpredictable nature of the antagonist. The horrific nature of his crimes paired with his charismatic laid back personality is a brilliant clash. The only problem I have with the movie is its generic predictable ending. Anyone watching would think 1 of 2 scenarios would happen. Protagonist stands up to him and kills him or the antagonist gets caught. Unfortunately one of these is the case and I felt this movie could've gone in 100 different directions. It had endless possibilities but chose a basic boring ending. However it doesn't undo what the film presented prior. It's definitely entertaining and ultimately keeps you guessing until the end. I appreciated this film. Talented cast really made this film memorable for me.

A young man, who's not living, but merely existing, has his life changed or awaken by a deranged and violent coworker one workday. A shocking incident sends both men on an unpredictable, violent and ultimately inspirational journey to self-discovery for one man and a doomed ending for the other man. Oddly, the deranged violent coworker, played masterfully by the always versatile and great Kyle Gallner, is an effective life coach to his timid coworker. Sure his methods are unorthodox and psychotic, but he gets the job done. Gallner is a perfect balance of uneasy calmness and explosive rage, and his final scene saying what he wanted to be as a child was sadly and beautifully acted. If a critically-acclaimed studio produced this movie or it pushed a certain political agenda, he would have been nominated for the "big" primetime award. Mostly everything behind and in front of the camera works, but something was missing. I don't know if it's in the drawn-out mall scene, but something's missing. I appreciate the ambiguous writing behind what happened to Benson (Gallner) as a child. His emotions when running into his past was enough. A good movie that takes you on a thrill ride, simmers some, thrills a little more, and then it just ends.

The Passenger is definitely one of my favorite 2023 watches; it's very well directed and the storyline is written progressively. Kyle Gallner is the star of the film with his antihero character where you can have a love-hate relationship with him. I feel like he's perfectly casted in this role and he just never disappoints with his performances lately. Perhaps 2023 is Kyle Gallner's year and I am all here for it and I just hope he is getting all the recognition he deserves.

The film is kind of like Terrence Malick's Badlands, also with a serial killer holding another character hostage, but with a sweet ending of betrayal, friendship, and love. Randy and Benny are two co-workers who soon and slowly forms a brotherhood bond as they drive along their small town, where not only they open up about their deepest darkest traumas but also their deepest sweetest desires. It's a story that you ought to not romanticize because of a character who's fixed to be a villain/murderer, but wherein you just realize that this villain, this antagonist of the story, still has a heart...for one person; the person he feels sorry for being oppressed, being maltreated...This antagonist, Benson, finally takes a stand for Randy, and teaches him that it's okay to react, to have some self-respect, that in the end, it's the thing that ends all this tragedy.

The acting is impressive across the board, with everyone's performance hitting the mark. But with much of the film featuring the two leads alone with each other it's Berchtold and Gallner who really get to shine.

A ride well worth taking, The Passenger is a hard film to watch, but most viewers will find it harder to turn it off. It's brutal both physically and emotionally and becomes increasingly more suspenseful as it builds to a seemingly inevitable climax.

It becomes something more than just the standard Hollywood psycho just as The Passenger is something other than the typical Hollywood thriller.

This movie is mischaracterized as a horror. It's definitely more of a suspense/psychological drama.

That being said, I thought it was rather enjoyable, with award-winning performances by Gallner and Berchtold. Can't stress enough how much Gallner's presence carries the overall average script.

The writing can feel a little flat, and the pacing sort of dies off after the first act. But, all in all, it's a decently solid film, with some interesting ideas about the balance of passivity versus aggression in relation to Randy and Benson. The main characters both stand as pillars of each side. And the narrative seems to pose the question of what is truly functional and healthy behavior when dealing with past trauma and present conflict.

Would highly recommend a watch, just for the performances alone. Looking forward to catching more of Gallner and Berchtold down the road. Great actors with promising careers ahead of them.