The Passenger (original title: La Pasajera) is a Spanish film that falls into the horror, science fiction and comedy genres. The elements that lead it to be categorized as such are present from start to finish, so it is a bit difficult to give it a single label to define its content. It was filmed during the pandemic, but the product of the directorial duo, Raúl Cerezo and Fernando González Gómez, feels like it was made prior to the indefinite suspensions of several productions— it feels a bit fresh.

The film tells the story of four characters traveling in a van: a chauvinistic driver living with ideas from his past, a mother and daughter trying to cope with their relationship in the present, and a hopeful woman looking for her future. While on the road, they find an injured hiker and decide to take them to a hospital. Unfortunately, they’ll learn the hard way there are decisions that, no matter how human they may seem, can have serious consequences without remedy.

At first glance, The Passenger can create confusion for the audience since in the first scene we see two characters speaking in English. However, the remaining 99% of the dialogue is spoken in Spanish, and the performances are spectacular by the rest of the cast. It features the participation of three great artists who have trained in theater, television and film: Ramiro Blas as Blasco, Cristina Alcázar as Lidia, and Cecilia Suárez as Mariela. For me it was a great surprise to see Mexican actress Cecilia Suárez since I don’t recall watching her previously in horror— it’s common to see her doing drama and comedy. But her participation delving into the genre doesn’t disappoint at all. There’s a lot of good chemistry between the cast, and the whole team is exceptional while giving life to their characters without overshadowing the performance of their colleagues.

The most impressive element of the film is a particular scene done in one uncut take that runs around 5 minutes where all four characters interact in pairs without overthinking their lines or showing any errors in their marks— the conversation is fluid. This scene is definitely the showcase of the cast’s talent, and there’s no doubt of their capacity to achieve it due to their previous work in theater, where the level of performance is higher and more complex than in a shoot where you can repeat a scene as many times as it takes for it to be ideal to include in the cut. And I must emphasize with praise the character of Marta, played by Paula Gallego, who best handles the evolution of her character.

However, some parts in the plot of The Passenger are a reinvention of old motives and some are not that original— the story is a bit trite. But, as I said before, it feels fresh for the simple fact of seem like an homage to the horror and science fiction movies of the 80s. There are angles and close-ups that seem to replicate those inclinations used to show desperation and paranoia that the characters convey. There is no questioning that the camerawork is brilliant and meets the claustrophobic setting that is in every minute spent in the van and in the woods.

The Passenger is mortally entertaining from beginning to end. It’s a one-way road trip that could keep you on the edge of your seat with the risk of getting scared by the abrupt stops the suspenseful path has in store for the viewer.

9 OUT OF 10 VANS