By Martin Unsworth

Randy (Johnny Berchtold) is an introverted, nervous guy, an incident when he was a child having scarred him mentally. He’s bullied and humiliated so badly by one of his colleagues at the burger joint that fellow worker Benson (Kyle Gallner) snaps. He walks to his car, grabs his rifle, and shoots everyone except Randy dead. He then forces him to come with him as he gets as far away from the incident as possible. Along the way, Benson quizzes him about his past, getting inside his head and convincing him to face his fears.

An incredibly intense and dour film, director Carter Smith’s The Passenger is essentially a two-handed character study that not only gets deep into the disturbing psyche of a certain element of modern America but also their broken lives. Berchtold is fantastic as the meek, perpetually stunned-looking, accidental sidekick who eventually allows his inner turmoil to boil over. Gallner’s terrifying character keeps things on a knife edge throughout, bursting into fits of violence for the slightest reason. His flawed philosophy and amateur therapy unravel as the pair head to find Randy’s seventh-grade teacher.

Part-road movie and part-psychological thriller, The Passenger puts the viewer on edge and doesn’t let up. The lengthy scenes of dialogue only lay the tension on even more. Jack Stanley’s script is believable, troubling, and insightful, touching on the processing of guilt and a need for closure.

The Passenger is available on digital in the US now.