Kyle Gallner is no stronger to alternative genre fare, successfully transitioning from a career playing teenagers in flicks like “Jennifer’s Body,” “The Haunting in Connecticut,” and the remake of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” to gripping roles in films like “Dinner in America” (a film I love so much I have it tattooed on my arm), “Mother May I,” and the box office juggernaut, “Smile.” Despite Gallner’s off-screen presence proving him to be one of the kindest folks in the biz, the industry certainly loves casting him as dangerous weirdos and dirtbags. Fortunately, no one can play these maligned lesser-thans quite like he can, and Benson is tailor-made for his talents. In Gallner’s more than capable hands, the threat of Benson’s explosive violence is everpresent, even when his palpable charm lulls the audience (and Randy) into a false sense of safety.
Meanwhile, Johnny Berchtold is well on his way to becoming a household name, and horror filmmakers would be wise to keep him in the genre space. He brings such an honest vulnerability to Randy that even when you want to jump through the screen and shake him for being such a pushover, it’s because deep down, he’s tapping into that evolutionary part of our brain that wants to protect him from harm. It’s when we learn more about Randy’s traumatic past that Berchtold truly shines, with every emotional monologue confession doubling as a highlight reel for this Scream King in the making. With such a stripped-down script, “The Passenger” lives and dies by their performances, and the pairing of Gallner and Berchtold feels like lightning in a bottle.