La Pasajera (2021) deals with the story of a van shared by multiple passengers that hits an excursionist who was walking at a secondary road at night . After getting her into the vehicle to take her to the closest hospital, the occupants soon realize that they just have to follow a very simple rule : don't sit next to her. A group of people -Blasco (Ramiro Blasco), the driver; Mariela (Cecilia Suárez), the Mexican; Lidia (Cristina Alcázar) and her teenage daughter, Marta (Paula Gallego's feature film debut) - travel in a van to a town in the Spanish province, they don't know each other due to a travel app has linked their destinations . Along the way, they witness a freak car crash on the side of the road, and whatever was in the crashed vehicle is now intent on chasing them . Don't sit next to her (No te sientes a su lado).
This horrifying picture contains thrills , chills , graphic violence , action-filled with fierce fights and loads of gore and guts . The bizarre terror and action moments are fast moving and compactly realized . The plot is quite plain and simple : The occupants of a van transporting a wounded excursionist have to avoid sitting next to her during the trip . So a rudimentary roadtrip gives directors Cerezo and González the opportunity not only to show their cinematic tastes but also to portray the generational clash between Blasco and his fellow travelers , who, although they do not define themselves as radical feminists, do look at him as if he were a man of stone age , eccentric , macho and talkative . Blasco ends up being the most endearing character perhaps due to the fact that we all have a person like that in our lives . This is an effective and simple movie ; it results to be an acceptable horror picture , including functional special effects realized in traditional style adding some new techiques , but also some plot elements are downright stupid . Adequate make-up and decent special effects , in fact was used mechanical and make up and in-camera effects whenever it was possible. But the film still has more than 500 VFX shots. The creepy images of wide range from the genuinely terrifying to the bizarre along with scary and amazing frames . The disturbing and loathing aliens appearance deliver the goods , plenty of screams, shocks and tension . "La pasajera" is a distressing and disconcerting horror film supported primarily onto its outlandish roles and in which takes place a suffocating atmosphere .The directors add to this background their particular references .There are reminiscent of the creatures in Lamberto Bava's Demons (1985), its sequel Demons 2: The Nightmare Is Back (1986) or subsequent The Descent (2005), with the camera capturing the feverish journey of the entities and pursuits through the forest in the manner of The Evil Dead, (1981) -in addition to Sam Raimi's characteristic violent humor-, a couple of nods to Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) , and even a chase which echoes the attack of the velociraptors in Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, 1993).
The Passenger works at times and is entertaining enough , it is because the references are not imposed, they are there without suffocating the story. The amusing but uneven original screenplay was written by Asier Guerricaechevarría and Javier Echániz but it was latter rewritten by Luis Sánchez Polack. Recognizing them a certain originality that enriches this bloody road trip, but the result does not depend on it because the work of Cerezo and González makes quite intelligent use of its environment and very particular details of the typical Spain. From the pasodoble that serves as the film's musical leitmotif, to the "adventures" of a bullfighter recounted by Blasco. More than one filmmaker has ended up failing by trying to carry out a similar task. The shooting lasted 30 days plus two additional days of visual effects cinematography. This is first feature film by Raúl Cerezo and the third by Fernando González Gómez (Stándar , Viejos , Zombie World 2) both of whom taking the path of reference, the metanarrative wink seeks to pay tribute to more than one classic and establish an attractive relation with the viewer, despite this game never absorbs the film at all , but they are used to tell a story with a very Spanish flavor.
