Exclusive Interview: Lou Llobell and Jacob Scipio on ‘Passenger’

In our second interview for the forthcoming cinema release Passenger, we talk to the people behind the main characters of the piece – Maddie and Tyler. At the centre of Passenger’s supernatural chaos sits something surprisingly grounded: a relationship. While the film delivers demonic terror, isolation and escalating horror on the open road, stars Jacob Scipio (Tyler) and Lou Llobell (Maddie) are quick to point out that the emotional core of the story matters just as much as the scares.

“I mean, this is a road movie,” Scipio says with a grin, “A haunted road movie.”

The pair clearly share an easy chemistry off-screen, something that becomes central to the success of Passenger. As the conversation continues, the film’s blend of romance and horror becomes a recurring theme. “It’s also a kind of romance, I guess,” says Llobell. “It’s kind of got love and horror,” Scipio adds, before joking: “Love Horror.” The clear playful dynamic between the two actors mirrors the balance the film itself appears to strike between emotional intimacy and supernatural dread.

That chemistry, both actors admit, came naturally. “I’m not going to lie,” Scipio says. “I would sit here and wax about how hard it was to get on with Lou and how hard we worked on building a rapport. But yeah, we just hit it off from the beginning.”

For Llobell, that trust became invaluable during production. “Having that chemistry kind of eased everything,” she explains. “So all the hard bits kind of got a little bit easier because you have someone that you trust. And I think that’s quite special in this industry.”

The pair spend much of Passenger trapped together in increasingly terrifying circumstances, with the film unfolding largely inside and around their van as a demonic entity relentlessly pursues them. That confined setup required both actors to sustain emotional intensity while reacting to constantly escalating danger. According to Scipio, much of that atmosphere stemmed directly from director André Øvredal’s approach on set.

“André is like a mad scientist, mathematician and genius,” he says enthusiastically. “He’s an assassin, man, because he has an idea in his head. The way he lines up the shots and creates a feeling and essence, a vibe when you’re watching it, is quite masterful.” Scipio particularly praises Øvredal’s technical precision and ability to shape mood through visuals and pacing.

Llobell agrees wholeheartedly. “He’s done an incredible job,” she says.

Despite the film’s supernatural premise, both actors believe audiences will connect most strongly with the immediacy of the experience itself. Llobell describes Passenger as a film that intentionally keeps viewers locked inside the moment with its characters. “The most important thing is the story we’re trying to tell for the timeframe that we’re telling it,” he explains. “You just live in this timeframe for 90 minutes.”

That immersive quality, he believes, is one of the film’s greatest strengths. “You’re in the van with Maddie and Tyler,” he says. “You’re a fly on the wall experiencing this awful situation that they get put through together.”

Naturally, both stars are especially eager to see horror fans experience the film with an audience. “Hopefully they’ll be leaving the cinema with popcorn all over the floor,” Llobell laughs. Llobell immediately points toward the film’s bigger scare moments. “The jump scares,” she says excitedly. “I’m excited to go to the cinema and watch people watch this movie.”

For the actors, Passenger feels tailor-made for communal viewing, something increasingly important in an era dominated by home streaming. Scipio believes audiences are rediscovering the value of the cinema experience itself. “People are returning to the cinema because they understand that you can escape,” he says. “You can get there for 90 minutes, an hour or two hours, whatever it is, and turn off your phone and just be transported.”

Watching horror at home, he argues, simply cannot recreate the same atmosphere. “You’re going to be on your phone or going to the bathroom or distracted,” he says. “If you go to the movies and you watch it with a group of people, especially a horror film like this, there’s no other way to watch it.”

Llobell points to the strange intimacy horror audiences often share. “A group of strangers is even better,” she says. “Because you all have a shared experience and you don’t know each other. That’s the coolest bit about going to the cinema.”

Scipio concludes, “it brings you together.”

With Passenger, that combination of emotional connection, supernatural terror and crowd-pleasing horror spectacle looks set to deliver exactly the kind of communal cinematic experience both actors clearly love themselves.

Exclusive Interview: Lou Llobell and Jacob Scipio on ‘Passenger’

See Passenger in cinemas May 22.

Passenger trailer