The Passenger (2023)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A submissive fast-food worker is forced into a harrowing journey of self-discovery after a coworker commits a violent act and decides to 'fix' him.
The story
Randolph "Randy" Bradley is a submissive fast-food worker in rural Louisiana who endures constant bullying from his coworkers. His life takes a violent turn when a coworker named Benson intervenes in a confrontation and kills everyone in the building except Randy. Following the massacre, Benson takes Randy on a forced journey to confront Randy's past and overcome his lifelong habit of passivity. As the pair travels through the countryside, Benson attempts to force Randy to confront his fears and make definitive choices, leading them to confront people from Randy's past, including an estranged former girlfriend and a former teacher.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After Benson kills everyone in their workplace, he takes Randy on a journey to 'fix' him by forcing him to confront his past. They visit Randy's mother, his ex-girlfriend Lisa, and his former teacher, Miss Beard. During these encounters, it is revealed that Randy's submissiveness stems from a traumatic incident in elementary school where he lashed out in anger, causing a physical injury to Miss Beard. While at Miss Beard's home, she reveals she doesn't blame him, but the situation escalates when Benson takes her hostage. They return to a diner where a confrontation with a waitress leads to her being shot. When police sirens are heard, Randy calls the authorities. In the ensuing chaos, Benson shoots Randy in the shoulder. Realizing the end is near, Benson reflects on his own life of apathy and commits suicide by cop. In the aftermath, Randy is shown to have found his voice, setting firm boundaries with his mother and finding a sense of control over his life.
- First release year
- 2023
- Runtime (minutes)
- 93
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Carter Smith
- Writers
- Jack Stanley · writer
- Cast and characters
- Kyle Gallner · Benson; Johnny Berchtold · Randolph Bradley; Liza Weil · Miss Beard; Billy Slaughter · Hardy; Matthew Laureano · Chris; Jordan Sherley · Jess; Kanesha Washington · Marsha; Lupe Leon · Lisa; Merah Benoit · Tessa
- Genres
- thriller; horror
- Themes
- agency; trauma; confronting the past
- Tone and mood
- tense; gritty
- Premise and plot tags
- road movie; buddy dynamic; survival
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 62 · scale: 100 · review count: 8
- Production trivia
- Produced by Blumhouse Television; Filmed in New Orleans
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…