The Passenger (1975)
Not all spy films are sexy.
Presentation:
What happens when an auteur attempts to make a espionage thriller? Well, it’s not what’d you’d imagine coming from that genre. From the art director Antonioni, there is a clear disdain for the commercial where we don’t even get into the plot reveal 40 minutes in. It’s a slow and quiet 40 minutes with much of the muted cinematic language from the 70s reminiscent of Willem Friedkin’s work on Sorcerer, except this film is very slow. A mature spy film that feels more like a suburban drama. Jack Nicholson’s acting is average, but perhaps below what we’d expect in 2026 due to expectations of his eccentric villainous performances from the future. The cinematography at some points are thought provoking, though intermixed with casual compositions to maintain a sense of realistic intimacy.
Conclusion:
This is not a film with a particularly good plot. Characters pop up here and there spontaneously, and we can feel them being summoned as if they were conjured up in the writing room 5 minutes ago. This gives the film a sense of amateur artistry that we associate with a looser type of mood piece cinema. But cinephile hipsters should already know what they are getting into. You don’t watch this film for its writing, narrative, or performances. You watch it because of Michelangelo Antonioni. His fleeting romance and moody cinematic language feel different from other films. The pacing barely trots along, but it might all be worth it for the camerawork in the finale.
Recommendations
Not all spy films are sexy.