'Scary Stories' Director's New Demonic Horror Just Hit Theaters With a Critic Saying It Beats 'Mandalorian'
André Øvredal picked his moment.
The Norwegian horror director's new film Passenger opened in 2,500 theaters Friday, May 22, going head-to-head with The Mandalorian and Grogu on Memorial Day weekend. Box office trackers expect the demonic road-trip thriller to pull $9 million to $10 million across the four-day holiday.
What the Movie Is About
Passenger, written by Zachary Donohue and T.W. Burgess, follows a young couple, played by Jacob Scipio and Lou Llobell, who flee New York for life on the road in a souped-up van. Six weeks in, they witness a fatal one-car accident on a remote country road. A malevolent spirit, played by Joseph Lopez, latches on and refuses to let go. Oscar-winning actress Melissa Leo co-stars.
Critics Are Split, but One Says It Tops 'Mandalorian'
The R-rated film opened with a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics consensus calls it "a stylish ride weighed down by the litany of clichés it picks up along the way."
Critic Peter Sobczynski disagreed. He gave the film 3.5 out of 4 and wrote that Passenger "is far more entertaining than The Mandalorian and Grogu." Sobczynski singled out three setpieces: a parking-lot stalk, a sequence in the woods where the couple watches Roman Holiday on a projector, and a finale he compared to Italian giallo master Lucio Fulci.
The Director's Resume
Øvredal made Troll Hunter, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and 2023's The Last Voyage of the Demeter. Producers Walter Hamada and Gary Dauberman (The Nun, Annabelle) back the new film for Paramount Pictures.
Passenger runs 1 hour 34 minutes. It opens internationally this week in 49 markets, including Australia, Brazil, France, Italy, Mexico, Spain and the United Kingdom.
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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 3:46 PM.