Having driven many times from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back, I know how intimidating the highway can be. If you see a logging truck, forget about it, right, Jeffrey Reddick? And if you’ve witnessed the trailer for Passenger (read our review here), you’ll know it looks pretty damn creepy. And frankly, after witnessing the movie, I can definitely say that I was on the edge of my seat. In part, because the casting of both Lou Llobell and Jacob Scipio had me smiling. What a great on-screen chemistry the two had.
Personally, I really appreciate the lost-in-the-woods type of horror. And while we’ve seen movies like The Hitcher and Duel make the highways terrifying, Passenger adds a fun new layer. It’s a refreshingly spooky horror flick that uses the van life experience effectively. And yes, after this flick, I don’t think it would be a life for me, especially if I get stuck on this highway.
Recently, I spoke with the terrific André Øvredal about taking on this project. He opened up about keeping the location true to the spirit of the road. He also discussed shooting on location. As well as keeping an unsettling mood and atmospheric thrills. There is a constant sense of doom once things start happening. I also found both Lou Llobell and Jacob Scipio to be wonderfully charming. The two work perfectly together in the film and in the interview. They discussed auditioning together and working with such a talented filmmaker.
Passenger is yet another horror movie that manages to do what large-budget genre productions often fail to do. It’s actually creepy and tense. Check it out with a crowd in theatres this Friday!
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