By GABE THOMAS
Carter Smith made waves with his 2008 eco-horror flick The Ruins and struck again this last year with psychedelic-thriller Swallowed. His knack for body horror and character work make him an exciting director to follow. He has a passion for photography, and his online project All the Dead Boys is available now for those looking to explore the world of queer fear.
Now, he’s talking to RUE MORGUE about his brand new film with Blumhouse Television and MGM+, THE PASSENGER. The screenplay was written by Jack Stanley, and it features masterful performances from Johnny Berchtold, Kyle Gallner and Lisa Weil. Smith’s new thriller is a unique exercise in trauma and self-discovery the likes of which we’re not likely to see again for a very long time (or at least until his next feature).
What was it about the script for THE PASSENGER that made you want to direct the film?
Director Carter Smith of THE PASSENGER, a Paramount Home Entertainment and MGM+ release. Photo courtesy of Jason Macdonald.
It was really the relationship between [the characters] Benson and Randy (Johnny Berchtold) at the heart of the script – this really complicated, unexpected relationship and friendship that develops between them that really shouldn’t be developing. When I read it for the first time, I found myself sort of rooting for them and hoping that there was going to be some way they could get out of this and be friends and sort of leave all of the horrible stuff behind.
It took me by surprise; It was a really unexpected response, especially after the horrible thing that happens at the start of the story. So it was really that relationship that I was excited to explore.
What do you think makes the characters in this movie so relatable?
I think that probably all of us have some sort of, if not trauma, then troubled history. And all of us, I think, can relate to finding ways to deal with it that might not be the healthiest way or the most productive way.
I think that both Benson and Randy are dealing with their stuff in their own ways, and I think that’s something we can all see a little bit of ourselves in – not necessarily in what people do, or like what Benson does, but in the fact that we all have this stuff in our past, things that we carry around with us that we either want to get rid of and don’t know how or have tried to get rid of unsuccessfully or have gotten rid of and moved on.
(L-R) Kyle Gallner as Benson and Johnny Berchtold as Randolph Bradley in the thriller drama film, THE PASSENGER, a Paramount Home Entertainment and MGM+ release. Photo courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment and MGM+.
Benson is a very closed-off and mysterious character. I feel like we know just enough about him to understand his motivations while the details are left ambiguous. Was there ever more discussion about explaining that backstory or was it always going to be left intentionally vague?
Yeah, there was. It was probably even less clear in the script. I think his trauma became much clearer as we went into shooting. I wanted to shoot that attack on the teacher as a really violent, disturbing sequence. And I think that sort of makes the viewer question, “Okay, what exactly did happen? If that’s his response, then what did he go through?” But Kyle [Gallner] and I both loved the idea of just leaving that unexplained. I think that the imagination can always come up with something worse than reality.
And I love that you said that he’s closed off because he really is closed off, but then he’s also the most talkative guy. He opens up in a way to Randy that I found really interesting. He opens up more and becomes more comfortable with him. It was a lot of fun to play with.
(L-R) Johnny Berchtold, Kyle Gallne and Director Carter Smith behind the scenes of the thriller drama film, THE PASSENGER, a Paramount Home Entertainment and MGM+ release. Photo courtesy of Lauren Downey.
This movie is a bit of a departure from The Ruins or Swallowed, which both have these memorably upsetting body horror sequences. And then, you have the violence in THE PASSENGER, which is a lot more grounded. Is there a style you prefer working in or does it depend on the project?
I think it’s specific to the project. I think that any violence in a film that I’m going to do is going to be tied to the emotional trauma of going through it or surviving it or, you know, facing it. And so, while the sequences in THE PASSENGER are really different from The Ruins, what they have in common is that the story is about how that violence affects the people around it.
Kyle Gallner gives a really threatening performance as Benson. How did you bring that out of him?
I mean, to be completely honest, he’s an amazing actor, and I didn’t have to work that hard. From our very first conversation about the character, we were both on the same page of how he would be someone that you needed to fear but you also needed to fall for. Benson needed to be as charismatic as he was threatening, and Kyle can walk that fine line.
It was just a pleasure to stand at the monitor and watch those scenes unfold because it wasn’t the sort of situation where I was watching and thinking, “Okay, I’ve got to dial him back.” He just naturally gave this performance that was spot on with the Benson that I had imagined.
(L-R) Johnny Berchtold as Randolph Bradley and Kyle Gallner as Benson in the thriller drama film, THE PASSENGER, a Paramount Home Entertainment and MGM+ release. Photo courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment and MGM+.
I do think Gallner delivers the showstopping performance of the movie, but it would be a disservice not to mention Johnny Berchtold as Randy. What do you think makes him such a compelling lead actor?
I like his ability to convey so much emotion without words. He has this understanding of his body language and what it conveys. Since so much of his time is spent listening to Kyle, to Benson, on these crazy monologues, he’s sort of this unwitting sidekick.
He just has this face that can break your heart with one look and sort of convey this fragility; Like, it just screams that he’s in this limbo that he needs to be broken out of. And it was just a lot of really smart choices on his part. I think that the two of them together … they’re the perfect foils for each other.
Using the term “limbo” is perfect because I would say my favorite element of the film is how isolated it looks. There are these shopping malls and parking structures in the middle of big cities, yet it just feels cold. It brings to mind 28 Days Later or We’re All Going to the World’s Fair. How did you and your crew go about creating that feeling?
We loved the idea of the story happening in a place that felt like it was lost in time a little bit. It wasn’t a bustling city. It wasn’t a specific farmland. I liked the idea that a lot of these places could be places that you find, whether you live in Texas or whether you live in Massachusetts or whether you live in Canada.
There was sort of this … I don’t want to say “generic” because, obviously, everything in all of those locations was specifically chosen but this kind of a blank canvas. And, as a function of the story, there’s this idea that Randy doesn’t have anywhere to go for help. The only time where they really run into people, he’s very much under Benson’s eye. There’s this idea that they’re in a place where time has kind of moved on. The shopping mall is going out of business. Most of the stores are closed, and the parking lot is empty. I just like this idea of Americana decayed.
Director Carter Smith of the thriller drama film, THE PASSENGER, a Paramount Home Entertainment and MGM+ release. Photo courtesy of Lauren Downey.
What advice do you have for other filmmakers about keeping your movie interesting and suspenseful while working at a slower pace?
I think one thing that worked in our favor, something we spent a lot of time talking about, is that first sequence in the restaurant and how horrific it was. I knew that if it worked, and it was shocking and scary and unsettling as I wanted it to be that the audience would believe Benson is capable of anything. A lot of the talk here is sort of road trip stuff. You keep that tension and suspense when you know Benson could lash out at any moment.
Is there anything you can tell us about your next project?
I’m not exactly sure what it’s going to be. I do a photography series called All the Dead Boys, and I’ve been shooting a lot for that and working on the website. It’s a nice creative in-between project now that everything is kind of on hold.
Lastly, are there any horror films coming out that you’re excited to dive into?
I just saw Talk to Me, and I’m really excited to see my friend Mary Beth McAndrews’ new film Bystanders.
Thank you so much for your time, Carter. You’ve been somebody to watch for a while now. I loved The Ruins and I loved THE PASSENGER. I’m excited to see what’s next.
Well, I love RUE MORGUE, so there you go. I actually just realized that I have two subscriptions. I get it in Maine and I get it in New York, just in case I’m in one place longer than the other. I don’t want to miss an issue, so I get two copies.
The PASSENGER is available now on Digital and On Demand. The film was produced by Blumhouse Television and MGM+ and distributed by Paramount.
