User reviews

I enjoyed this movie, but you need to be wary about how it's being described as a drama- horror-thriller. It's far more a drama than thriller, and I can't think of any horror elements in it at all. I don't want to give any of the movie away, so I'd like to describe what might make it more likely that you'd enjoy it.

Passengers concentrates on character development and primarily on Claire Summer (Anne Hathaway), a therapist who suspects she's discovered a cover-up while treating the survivors of an airplane crash, but also deals with her awakening to the reality that she's sacrificed too much personal life for her career. Her loneliness is as important to this movie as the mystery she's trying to unravel.

I liked Hathaway in this role. I wouldn't normally have thought of her as playing the part of a professional woman with two Masters degrees, as she usually conveys beauty and warmth instead of intellect. However, she's portraying a young academic on her first real-world case and she's convincing when she spouts the predictable, psychobabble an inexperienced therapist would likely spout. I also liked her relationship with her mentor Perry (Andre Braugher). The only weakness in the film might be insufficient scenes exploring her loneliness. It's the reason she gets involved with Eric (Patrick Wilson) but it should have been set up better. I'm not sure we're entirely convinced she would have gotten involved with him. Her isolation from family and friends should have been developed more.

It's not a great movie, but I did enjoy it, and I don't find the complaints I've heard about the movie credible; that it's slow and derivative. North Americans have developed such short attention spans, "slow" often only means there's not a car crash every few minutes. Yes, it's derivative, but so is Eagle Eye, a film currently doing very well at the box-office, which is obscenely derivative, but it doesn't seem to bother anyone since it's loaded with car crashes and other mindless action. (Eagle Eye is also appallingly dumb!)

If you're looking for a drama with some elements of suspense which takes it's characters seriously, then I would recommend it.

I'd like to start off by saying I began watching this movie with a little suspicion, because I checked the ratings here and they weren't really high.

Well, my suspicion wasn't necessary. This movie isn't all about action, explosions and that sort of things. What is does have is a heart, it shows the bond between people and it explains why that bond takes place. Just not in a corny way, this is more of a mix between real-life personalities, suspension, and a big plot-twist at the end kind of like Hitchcock did back in the days. Just not that elaborate. Some comments on this movie say that it lacks originality, but what movie doesn't do that these days ? Almost everything has already been done over and over again.

As concerns the quality of acting, it's just good. Nothing more but certainly nothing less. It's nice to see Anne Hathaway play a different sort of role, besides comedy. Her co-star Patrick Wilson also performs on a high wire. Andre Braugher and David Morse are good at supporting roles and thats is simply what they did in this one. You can't say that the acting wasn't good, therefore I feel sorry that it hasn't been properly promoted because it would have had some potential to getting to be a popular movie.

Conclusion: Like I said in the beginning, it's good, just not a masterpiece. I suggest you watch it and go with the flow, you won't regret it.

Since there was no publicity for this film, my expectations for it were pretty low.

It has a slow pace and at times things don't make sense, but they do as the story moves forward. You just have to give it time.

At times it doesn't quite work and in a way doesn't break much new ground, but Ann gives a low key performance that I liked.

And the film did make me think about my life and what it is like to deal with death in sudden fashion, like a plane crash. Don't think they'll be showing this one as an in-flight movie.

I've heard that Sony kept this film quiet so it wouldn't interfere with the Oscar buzz Ann Hathaway's getting for Rachel Getting Married. Which makes sense, but I feel bad for all the people that worked on the film. They must feel abandoned by the studio.

This was a very well put together flick. The acting was great and the end gave me shivers and wet my eyes. Would say more but dont want to ruin it. Enjoy!

Claire Summers (Anne Hathaway) is a young therapist assigned by her mentor Perry (Andre Braugher) to counsel the five survivors of a horrendous plane crash with 109 on board. Eric Clark (Patrick Wilson) is feeling a little too good. Shannon (Clea DuVall), Dean (Ryan Robbins), Janice (Chelah Horsdal) and Norman (Don Thompson) have varying recollections including an explosion. Mr. Arkin (David Morse) is from the airlines who insists it's pilot's error and not an explosion. Toni (Dianne Wiest) is her nosy neighbor. Eric is having nightmares and tells Claire to contact her sister Emma who he should not know about. Claire is fascinated with him. The survivors start disappearing. She starts falling for Eric.

There is murky moody mystery with supernatural undertones in this that is sort of interesting. The early promise slows down to a crawl as the movie turns to the romantic angle. I just lose the general direction of the movie. It doesn't build on the early tension. The sense of paranoia doesn't get raised. Director Rodrigo García simply fails to ramp up the movie. There is no excuse with so many great compelling actors around. Then the last 30 minutes try to re-engage but it culminates in an unsatisfying ending that is done way too much anyways.

I liked this movie. I like the whole, 'elemental humanity' that you find in it. It is possible to identify with the characters and the universality of the movie. It really is a bit of a psychological thriller which I like. The only thing is that, after watching it, you may get a little depressed. The ending is completely unexpected, I must say. It made the movie completely worth it, when at times it would just get really confusing out of no where. I definitely thought it was worth seeing. I love movies that invoke an emotional response. The twists and turns will keep you guessing and you may get more out of it than you expected. Happy watching.

Though there are similarities in this film to others, ie... not completely original... it is a very good, very touching movie. It has its moments of intensity, its greatness in the acting and directing. Its not a classic, but with all of the mediocre works that are out there to take your money, this is one that would NOT be a waste of your time.

I would highly recommend this film if you are into suspense, drama, intrigue of any nature.

There are certain aspects that are left open, but so minor that it doesn't distract from the impact of the movie.

All in all -- a very good watch.

6 out of 10

I really regret the time I spent watching this movie.

I'm actually a very forgiving viewer, willing to accept a movie on its own terms; and I like Ann Hathaway and David Morse a lot, other things being equal. They weren't equal. From the very start, Hathaway's character is acting so unprofessionally and incompetently, and her lines are so poorly (insultingly!) written, that I wondered if it all covered some worthwhile payoff.

It did not.

The pacing was so slow, the male lead was such an insultingly obnoxious, unattractive personality, my gut kept saying "Bail! Bail out!" Yet the cognitive dissonance effect took hold. I'd already invested so much time, I wanted to see it through.

Whew. Should have gone with the gut.

Don't bother.

A film where only cast makes the difference, in fact without the skills of Patrick Wilson and Anne Hathaway "Passengers" would have just been a melodramatic mess. This isn't certainly a very original or scary film (although reminds a lot "The 6th Sense" and "The others"), but it's not the worst either, due to some interesting twists. Anne Hathaway is a talented actress and gets to make feel her fear and frustration. She got chemistry with Wilson and they end up being plausible by complementing one another. "Passengers" is not a movie I would strongly recommend but the shocking finale and some good acting performances make a decent (barely decent actually) choice for an evening rental.

...but I was very affected by this film. It was inspired by another film, but I can't give you the name as it will spoil the movie for you. You'll know if you watch it.

Anne Hathaway is Claire, a counselor who is assigned by her boss (Andre Braugher) to help survivors of a plane crash. One of the survivors, Eric, seems not to have been bothered at all, but he makes an appointment to see Claire privately. For the others, she sets up a group therapy session.

We see Claire as a dedicated career woman with a nosy neighbor (Dianne Weist), and she seems to be on the outs with her sister, whom she is trying to reach. Eric proves to be problematic. Since the accident, he's become quite the daredevil and encouraging her to be the same way; he shows up at her apartment late at night; and she's falling for him.

Less and less people show up to the therapy sessions, and Claire wonders about the man hovering outside during the sessions, who seems to be from the airline. She begins to suspect a conspiracy - he is too interested in peoples' accounts of the crash, which differ from the party line, and she thinks he may have something to do with the passengers disappearing.

This is a slow film, but stay with it. It's quite powerful. Anne Hathaway gives a lovely performance as Claire, and Patrick Wilson is effective and likable as Eric, resembling a young Paul Newman.

I admit I shed some tears. Don't listen to the twenty-something year-old guys who populate IMDb (unless you're one yourself; then by all means, listen to them). Just enjoy the movie.

What's wrong with people these days? What's the problem with a heartwarming film that lifts the spirits (no pun intended)?

This is a really emotionally charged movie with a plot twist I never saw coming.

No political agenda, no political correctness undertones just a feel good film.

Ignore the haters, this is a cracker.

I would have to agree with many of the comments I have seen here already: this is a tired story line that has been done much better in other vehicles. I don't want to make any direct comparisons for fear of spoiling the 'twist'; however, the movie tends to spoil its own 'twist' by its unremarkable predictability.

The pacing of this film is dreadfully slow. The acting is at best serviceable -- but at the end I felt that we should somehow care more about these characters then we do. Is that the result of weak acting or weak storyline? Maybe some of both.

The ending completely fell flat. As I hinted, my wife and I had already figured out every 'twist' before they happened -- but we were still waiting for some gleaming revelation on why this was an important story and what poignant message we should take from this (after enduring everything that preceded). That shining moment never came -- just 'poof' and it was (mercifully yet utterly unsatisfyingly) done.

I heartily recommend this movie with an enthusiastic 'whatever.'

Though this film rambles a bit, I did find myself falling for the mystery that underlies it. Suffice it to say, we are pulled into this strange film and are made to choose sides in what seems like a basic airline conspiracy film. Anne Hathaway's young woman seems ill cut out for her job. If I were one of her clients, I would quickly lose confidence. Nevertheless, if we accept her for what she does, it doesn't take long to fall headlong into the series of events. She has been given the job of counseling a small group of survivors of a plane crash. In the process, she becomes intimately involved with a man who seems, for the most part, to take his survival as a rebirth. She struggles with her professional ethics, but gets closer and closer. I can't say I disliked the conclusion to the film and I won't spoil it for anyone, but there are a lot of questions one could ask about how all this came together.

One thing that can surely ruin a movie is having unbelievable characters. The Anne Hathaway character may be the worst psychologist I've ever seen in a movie. Her boss gives her a big responsibility, when in reality he should fire her. She has no ability and no ethics. If it wasn't for my wife, I would have turned it off.

Normally I like psychological thrillers, but they must have a level of believability to draw you into the movie. If the characters are all "movie" characters, designed only to elicit illogical character reactions, it's impossible to develop empathy for any character.

My recommendation is to avoid this movie. It is so bad that I'm writing this while I'm still watching it on demand TV.

First of all let's clear one thing...this is not in any way a horror movie...This is in best way mystery,drama and a little romance all blended in together.

Now about the movie...first the acting.Anne Hathaway carries this movie with a little help of Patrick Wilson.They are great together and they have a good chemistry.The rest of the cast is solid,but nothing more than that ( since the Hathaway and Wilson are 2 central figures of this movie ).

I must say that I was pretty bored with this movie and I wonder why have I watched.It must have been mainly because of cast,and although I have seen some of the negative reviews on IMDb,I decided to watch it anyway...This movie is really boring and the big twist at the end of the movie doesn't have any impact or shock value like the director probably intended...If you've watched more than ten movies in your life,or if you have watched,for example sixth sense,or similar movies,you will see this from mile away...

So in any case this movie probably wouldn't be seen by many people if not for its strong cast...and this movie has one really,really big and essential problem...ITS LACK OF ORIGINALITY...

four out of ten just for good performances...

Well I'm dutch, so bear with the English language...

I really liked this movie... It has almost everything. Mostly I watch action movies.. but sometimes a different genre attacks me. This movie was one of the others. Ik love the psychological real feelings.. the people with open judgement on others. The readiness to make yourself vonourable.

Still this one has some action.. some real people (well as real as you want them to be in movies).. and it warms my heart.

This is my first comment on a movie... and I am absolutely not ashamed that it is for/at this one. See it and you'll like it.. Its more than fine.

this is so far one of the worst films that i've ever so painfully to watch, because this screenplay and the scenario are just so stupid and full of ridiculous flaws. you just can't sign up a pretty face to play the head shrink only with high doctorate degrees but never qualifies for the practice yet. she is such an awkward amateur, she didn't even know how to address the survivors of a major air disaster. she is just like a college student trying to do a extremely tough job as a head shrink. she even falls for one of the survivor, sleep with him and becomes his lover. this is such a stupid development. then later, the dramatic confront with the guy who later shows as the exact airline pilot and miraculous involves in a exactly the same burning and crashing airline disaster, and more ridiculously, the young stupid amateur head shrink is one of the passengers and accompanied by a former survivor as her lover. Jesus Christ, i've never seen a movie that signed up many a-list actors to be in such a stupid film. the reason why i write this review is that i feel upset and angry about this film that have wasted so much money for nothing.