Passenger (2026)

Anyone who has seen one horror movie knows you don’t pull over for the wrecked car on the empty highway at midnight, and Passenger is built entirely on two people who haven’t. Maddie and Tyler are freshly engaged van lifers, so thin you’ll forget their last names before the first scare. The next morning their van has three claw marks on the side, and the usual stops arrive on schedule: a cryptic warning from a stranger, a curse with rules, a creature that can wear a familiar face. André Øvredal knows how to stage a jolt. Maddie burning the thing’s hand with a St. Christopher medallion is a great beat, and the reveal that those claw marks are an old hobo code sign for danger is a creepy idea the script barely uses. Critics gave it 47% on Rotten Tomatoes. A 4.4 because the bumps are fun and the road is way too familiar. $592.56 says you lock your car doors at the next empty rest stop and act like your elbow just bumped the button.

What works: André Øvredal stages a handful of strong jolts, and the hobo code symbols give the curse a cool, specific bit of road lore.

What doesn’t: The couple are thin and the plot runs through every haunted road cliché in order, so the scares rarely surprise you.

Who it’s for: Horror fans who want a quick, jumpy rental and road trippers who enjoy being a little too nervous at rest stops.