Moonlight
2016USA★ 7.45.5 pt match
Both films sit with figuring out who you are, longing, and loss of innocence. Both move the same way too, melancholic, haunting, slow burn, and dreamlike.
The Passenger
Professione: reporter
1975ItalyLanguage: itDirected by Michelangelo Antonioni★ 7.2
Available in English: subtitled
David Locke is a world-weary American journalist who has been sent to cover a conflict in northern Africa, but he makes little progress with the story. When he discovers the body of a stranger who looks similar to him, Locke assumes the dead man's identity. However, he soon finds out that the man was an arms dealer, leading Locke into dangerous situations. Aided by a beautiful woman, Locke attempts to avoid both the police and criminals out to get him.
Themes and style
Tone
melancholictensehauntingcold and detached
Pacing
slow burndreamlikemethodical
Story
escapepursuitunravelingjourney
Emotion
figuring out who you arelongingfeeling powerlessloss of innocence
Themes
life under oppressioncolonial historycorrupt institutions
Feel
cerebralquietly hauntingdiscussion starterexhausting
Violence
suggestiveWhere to watch
Hollywood films like The Passenger
If The Passenger hit you the right way, here are Hollywood films that share its DNA. Same emotional weight, same kind of stories, same kind of payoff.
Boyhood
2014USA★ 7.54.5 pt match
Both films sit with loss of innocence, longing, and figuring out who you are. The feel is the same: melancholic, slow burn, and dreamlike.
Lady Bird
2017USA★ 7.34 pt match
Both films sit with figuring out who you are, longing, and loss of innocence. Same energy: melancholic and slow burn.
Boulevard
2014USA★ 5.84 pt match
What ties these together is figuring out who you are, longing, and loss of innocence. Both move the same way too, melancholic, haunting, slow burn, and methodical.
Cast Away
2000USA★ 7.73.5 pt match
Like The Passenger, this one is rooted in longing, loss of innocence, and feeling powerless. The feel is the same: melancholic, haunting, slow burn, and methodical.
Nomadland
2020USA★ 7.23 pt match
Both films sit with loss of innocence, longing, and figuring out who you are. The feel is the same: melancholic, haunting, slow burn, and dreamlike.
Kramer vs. Kramer
1979USA★ 7.63 pt match
What ties these together is figuring out who you are and loss of innocence. Same energy: melancholic, slow burn, and methodical.
The Florida Project
2017USA★ 7.43 pt match
Like The Passenger, this one is rooted in loss of innocence and feeling powerless. The world both films live in revolves around corrupt institutions. The feel is the same: melancholic, haunting, and slow burn.