Norwegian director André Øvredal demystifies the U.S. road trip by exploring its most vulnerable and terrifying side in ‘Passenger’: “You’re at the mercy of the unknown,” the filmmaker tells EFE.
The film, which hits U.S. theaters May 22, follows the story of Maddie (Lou Llobell) and Tyler (Jacob Scipio), a couple who leave their New York apartment to drive across the country in a quaint orange van, only to discover that the freedom of the road can also become an experience of isolation and paranoia.
“I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of driving across America,” Øvredal explained. “It’s like a dream for Americans and foreigners alike.”
“But you’re also alone. Whether completely alone or accompanied, you’re at the mercy of different environments and unknown locations, you don’t know if there will be a gas station in the next 20 or 30 kilometers when you need it, or if there will be a serial killer waiting for you around the corner,” he adds.
Unknowingly, Tyler and Maddie break the supposed rules of road trippers and the consequences will be severe.
After trying to help a motorist who suffers a devastating accident in front of their eyes, the couple begins to be pursued by “the passenger”, a mysterious presence that will transform their journey into a nightmare that seems to have no end.
Passenger’: The terror aboard a U.S. voyage
Øvredal is known for not being afraid to explicitly show his monsters on screen, such as Scarecrow Harold or The Pale Woman in ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’, his 2019 film.
Passenger’ is no exception, and in this film he opted to introduce the creature gradually, as he believes that waiting too long to show the monster leads the audience to build “so much expectation in their imagination that it is impossible to live up to it”.
“In my opinion, it’s necessary to at least hint early on what the monster is going to be, what it’s going to look like, what kind of creature, person or villain it is,” he adds.
Although in the script the passenger was described more as “a shadow” of the road, both Øvredal and producers Gary Dauberman and Walter Hamada wanted to make him “a more concrete, more human villain,” he notes.
The answer to humanizing the monster came in the auditions: when actor Joseph Lopez came to the casting, the director immediately knew it was him.
“It’s fantastic. His screen presence, his performance, his commitment to the horror of the character and also, interestingly, to his vulnerability…even though that doesn’t come across as much in the film, it was very present in his performance,” she explains.
More than a horror story
Although horror is a fundamental part of the film, the author of films such as ‘The Autopsy of Jane Doe’ and ‘The Last Voyage of Demeter’ felt it was essential to explore the emotional conflict between the protagonists.
From his perspective, the dramatic arc between his protagonists is so strong that even without the horror the story would work.
“One thing I fell in love with about the script is that he (Tyler) loves the freedom of the road, the freedom to make almost random decisions; while she (Maddie) is looking more for a home and stability. That clash of needs between the two characters is what drives the internal drama of the film,” he notes.
Having opposing life projects will distance the couple and the supernatural crisis they are going through will push the relationship to the limit.
“They have their differences but in the end they stay together and really make a good team. That’s what ends up being above everything else,” Llobell tells EFE.
“What I like most about Tyler is his unwavering energy and his determination to get something done. But what ultimately stands above all that is the love he has for his partner,” Scipio concluded, reported Agencia EFE.
Here you can see the trailer of ‘Passenger’.
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