André Øvredal’s previous film, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, expanded a small segment of Bram Stoker’s Dracula to imagine what it might’ve been like sailing the high seas with a hungry vampire. The latest from the filmmaker—who also made Trollhunter, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark—looks like another travel tale of terror.
Passenger stars Lou Llobell (Foundation) and Jacob Scipio (Bad Boys for Life) as a couple whose road trip takes a decidedly sinister turn. Think cult classic The Hitcher, except with way more supernatural overtones. Here’s the first trailer.
Passenger warns us that “130 million people take road trips every year; 15,400 of them are never seen again,” which seems awfully high—unless this is the kind of hazard people are encountering on all those dimly lit shortcuts.
The official description gives us a little more insight into the story: “A few weeks into their van life adventure, a young couple witnesses a horrific accident that leaves the driver dead. Soon they’re being pursued by a demonic stalker who’s impossible to outrun and follows them wherever they go.”
Maybe add a little It Follows to Passenger‘s list of influences with that detail? We’re also intrigued by the inclusion of Oscar winner Melissa Leo as a mysterious woman who seems to know more about the “unholy” situation than she’s letting on—something it’ll take a lot more than a St. Christopher medal hanging from the rearview mirror to ward off.
Passenger hits theaters May 22. Will you be thumbing a ride?
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