The Passenger (2026) Review: 7/10 For This Claustrophobic Van Thriller
Sponsored
 |
| source: tv.lk21 |
The Passenger (2026) is a
psychological thriller film directed by Vadim Perelman. Hassan, a Somalian
airport shuttle driver in Minneapolis, is struggling with financial problems.
At the airport, he meets Lloyd, a young man who claims he needs to get to
Chicago to visit his dying mother. Lloyd offers a large payment for Hassan to
drive him there using Hassan’s van. Hassan takes the illegal job because he
desperately needs the money. But midway through the journey, the secret is
revealed: Lloyd is wearing a bomb vest and he is the one who bombed Minneapolis
Airport, killing five people. At gunpoint, Hassan is trapped. He has to keep
driving to Chicago while wrestling with a terrible dilemma: should he save
himself or save others?
Critics have praised the acting
showdown between Hounsou and Smit-McPhee. Hounsou’s performance is calm,
emotional, and grounded as a desperate father. Smit-McPhee is the opposite:
unpredictable with volatile energy. The premise is morally gray — not just a
bomb thriller. It also tests moral boundaries: how far would you go for family
or money? Hassan understands that if he saves himself, many more people will be
killed.
However, critics also criticized
the slow pacing because it is dominated by dialogue and threats, with minimal
tension. The film is not new. The premise has been done before. Reviewers say
the plot resembles other films, so don’t expect crazy plot twists. ScreenRant
gave it a 7/10.
This film stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Djimon Hounsou, Leigh-Ann Rose and more.
In my opinion:
Sponsored
What a long night for a driver —
a Somali immigrant who just wants to live a normal life in America. Yet he is
confronted by a passenger, a young man who turns out to have an extreme
worldview. The film basically has a simple and good story, but unfortunately,
it feels like it has holes everywhere. Even though the atmosphere and the
actors deliver the film very well.
So this is Lloyd’s story — a
young man with a twisted perspective. He believes the world is unfair, that
many people out there face injustice and are oppressed by the “more powerful
side.” He meets, or rather chooses, Hassan, an airport shuttle driver, as his
“vehicle” to Chicago to carry out his next terrorist act. What’s strange,
though, is after Lloyd bombs the airport, what is his real purpose for going to
Chicago? If he wants to detonate another bomb, who is the target and why
Chicago, aside from the fact that his mother is being treated there?
That is one of the plot holes I
noticed. There are actually several odd and questionable details. First, when Lloyd
kills a police officer and takes his gun, there is a moment when he asks Hassan
for the car keys and the keys fall. At that moment Lloyd picks them up and the
two of them are very close. Why didn’t Hassan try to grab the gun? After all,
Lloyd wasn’t pointing it at him. Second, when Lloyd gets out to make a phone
call and buy snacks, why didn’t Hassan try to find his phone that fell under
the seat? There were many opportunities when Lloyd wasn’t focused on him. Those
are just two awkward details; there are a few more.
What I want to say is that it’s a
shame that a film with such a good story idea was executed poorly. Especially
since they cast Djimon Hounsou, who is truly expressive in his role. The
visuals, audio, and cinematography aren’t bad either, but unfortunately there
are several awkward details. This is a note for you, Mr. Director — don’t be
offended, hehe.
 |
| From daggers in Judea to hoaxes on our smartphones. The battlefield has changed, but its reach is now worldwide. |
Sponsored
The term "terrorism" is
something we often hear in the news. But it turns out this tactic has existed
for thousands of years. The core idea is the same: using violence to create
fear in order to achieve political, religious, or ideological goals. Did you
know that terrorism has existed since 1 AD - 1200 AD?
The first group often referred to
as "terrorists" was the Sicarii in Judea from 6-73 AD. They attacked
Roman soldiers and Jews who were considered traitors using daggers in public
places. Then there were the Hashashin in Persia during the 11th-13th centuries.
They assassinated important figures in secret for political and religious
purposes. This is where the word "assassin" in English comes from.
Their goal was to make enemies afraid, not to take over territory.
The French Revolution (1793-1794)
was when the word "Terrorism" was born. The Reign of Terror during
the French Revolution saw the Jacobin government use mass executions and public
executions to "purge" enemies of the state. Here, "terror"
was used by the state itself. So initially, terrorism was not just the act of a
group.
Then in the years 1880-1940, or
the 19th century, anarchist groups emerged in Europe and Russia. They bombed
kings, prime ministers, and presidents. An example is the assassination of Tsar Alexander II in 1881. Entering the 20th century, nationalist groups appeared:
the IRA in Ireland, Irgun in Palestine, and the FLN in Algeria. They carried
out bombings, hijackings, and assassinations to gain independence from
colonization.
Entering 1960–2001, this was the
era of modern and global terrorism. This was the era of "hijacked planes
and hostages." From 1960-1980, there were many plane hijackings. Just to
name a few: the PLO, Brigate Rosse in Italy, and Baader-Meinhof in Germany.
Then in the 1990s, religious terrorism emerged, such as Aum Shinrikyo, which
released sarin gas on the Tokyo subway in 1995, and the Al-Qaeda network began
to grow. September 11, 2001 was a turning point for the world. The attacks on
the WTC and the Pentagon by Al-Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 people. After this,
the US launched the "War on Terror."
Next is the 2000-2010 era, this
was the era of ISIS and Lone Wolves. After Al-Qaeda was weakened, ISIS emerged
in 2014. The difference was that they controlled territory, built a
"state," and at the same time spread videos of brutal executions for
online propaganda. At the same time, the phenomenon of "lone wolf"
emerged - acts of terror by individuals inspired by online propaganda. Examples
include the shooting in Christchurch or the truck attack in Nice.
The pattern changed again in the
2020 – 2026 era. It became more decentralized and did not require a central
command. It was enough to be inspired through the internet. Ideologies also
began to mix, from far-right, far-left, to religious. Following the times,
terror attacks are also carried out through cyber and disinformation. Besides
bombs, cyber attacks and hoaxes are also used to create mass panic.
In short, from the past until
now, the tools of terrorism have changed: from daggers → bombs → planes → the
internet. But the goal remains the same: to spread fear in order to gain
attention and power. Terrorism is very old, it is not a new phenomenon after
9/11. Its motives have changed: in the past it was nationalist, now there are
many religious + ideological motives. And what's even scarier, the battlefield
has shifted, from the field to the screen of our cell phones.
Comments
Post a Comment