{"id":468,"date":"2026-05-22T17:15:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T17:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uspropertymoves.com\/?p=468"},"modified":"2026-05-22T17:15:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T17:15:12","slug":"passenger-review-melissa-leo-in-a-ho-hum-highway-horror","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uspropertymoves.com\/?p=468","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Passenger\u2019 Review: Melissa Leo in a Ho-Hum Highway Horror"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<!-- do not apply CSS styles to this element! --><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>\n\tAs anyone who\u2019s been on one knows, lengthy road trips can be a trying experience. The new horror film from director Andr\u00e9 Ovredal (<em>The Autopsy of Jane Doe<\/em>, <em>Scary Stories to Tell in the<\/em> <em>Dark<\/em>) runs only 94 minutes, but it captures the feeling all too well. Like a bright headlight facing you dead on or the sudden honk of a loud horn, only the jump scares keep you from falling asleep during the seemingly interminable <em>Passenger.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/uspropertymoves.com\/?p=466\">Missing TV Actor Stewart McLean Case Now Murder Investigation, Says RCMP<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\tThis is the sort of generic \u201cthings that go bump in the night\u201d chiller that seems more suited for late-night cable than theatrical release, especially in an era when superior efforts have lifted the horror genre to a higher level. The story couldn\u2019t be simpler: A young couple hit the highway in their souped-up van to experience the freedom of life on the road, only to discover that a malevolent force bent on their destruction is tracking them every step of the way. As if highway patrolmen weren\u2019t scary enough.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<h3>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tPassenger\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<div>\n<span>The Bottom Line<\/span><br \/>\n<span><\/p>\n<p>\tNot worth the ride.<br \/>\n\t<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<strong>Release date<\/strong>: Friday, May 22<br \/><strong>Cast<\/strong>: Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell, Melissa Leo, Joseph Lopez, Miles Fowler, Alan Trong<br \/><strong>Director<\/strong>: Andr\u00e9 Ovredal<br \/><strong>Screenwriters<\/strong>: Zachary Donohue, T.W. Burgess<br \/>\n<span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRated R,<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 hour 34 minutes\t\t\t<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n\tAfter a brief prologue in which two young male drivers learn the lesson that you should never stop on the side of the road to pee (and not because of passing traffic), we\u2019re introduced to the uber-enthusiastic Tyler (Jacob Scipio) and the less-than-eager Madi (Lou Llobell, <em>Foundation<\/em>), who ditch their comfortable Brooklyn apartment for a nomadic life. Their van equipped with a Bob Ross bobblehead \u2014 the kitschy artist\u2019s mantra, \u201cThere are no mistakes, only happy accidents,\u201d becomes a running theme \u2014 they go looking for adventures.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tIt isn\u2019t long before bad things start to happen, as their growing fears are confirmed when they meet the nomadic Diana (Melissa Leo, whose haunted expression mostly indicates that she sees the chance of a second Oscar slipping away). She offers them several rules of the road as advice, such as \u201cDon\u2019t ever stop\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t drive at night.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cPeople don\u2019t take trips, trips take people,\u201d she counsels, sounding like the worst public service announcement ever.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/uspropertymoves.com\/?p=464\">\u2018The Testaments\u2019 Star on That Violent Penultimate Episode: \u201cShe Spirals. I Didn\u2019t Even Recognize Her\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\tAfter repeatedly spotting the titular demonic figure (Joseph Lopez), who looks like an even more desiccated Iggy Pop, and nearly getting strangled by her seatbelt (been there), Madi skims through a scary book at a gift shop and learns about the \u201cHobo Code,\u201d devised by itinerants a century ago. Among the symbols she learns about is three slashes, meaning \u201cNot safe here,\u201d which she soon sees carved on the side of their van.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tMore would-be scary incidents ensue, the most notable and stylishly filmed of which is an encounter with the Passenger while they\u2019re using an outdoor projector to screen the classic film <em>Roman Holiday<\/em> (complete with the Paramount Pictures logo prominently spotlighted). Hearing mysterious noises, they use the illuminated images of Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn\u2019s indelible faces to search the woods, and one can only hope the actors\u2019 heirs are receiving royalties.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tAt a nomad camp, they again run into Diana, providing Leo the opportunity to score a few more minutes of screen time and helpfully describe the malevolent figure as the \u201cHighwaymen from Hell,\u201d which would have made for a far better title.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tLacking any sort of thematic heft to make the proceedings truly spooky, proficient helmer Ovredal mainly relies on a series of jump scares, complete with sudden loud noises, to keep us on edge. It works well enough on a superficial level but there\u2019s so little depth to the main characters (not the fault of the performers) and so little resonance to the supernatural threat that any feelings of dread will be quickly forgotten. The film may provide a slight boost to the sale of St. Christopher medals, but as far as highway journeys go there\u2019s nothing in it scarier than the current price of gas. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/uspropertymoves.com\/?p=462\">\u2018Reggie Dinkins\u2019: How Tracy Morgan and His \u201830 Rock\u2019 Pals Scored Another Touchdown<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A couple periodically encounter a malevolent supernatural force while on the road in Andr\u00e9 Ovredal&#8217;s horror film &#8216;Passenger,&#8217; featuring Melissa Leo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":467,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[519,520,521,522],"class_list":["post-468","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting","tag-foundation","tag-melissa-leo","tag-scary-stories-to-tell-in-the-dark","tag-the-autopsy-of-jane-doe"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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