Top 5 Hidden Details Found in The Passenger

As much as he’s the instigator for the plot, seldom little is actually revealed about Benson. Especially in regard to the cornerstone of his tendencies. So it’s somewhat surprising that in his last moments, he recalls visiting the zoo as a kid and wanting to be a giraffe. Benson doesn’t elaborate further, but it does harken back to the scene at the stuffed animal workshop. While Randy talks to his ex, Lisa, Benson chooses a stuffed giraffe as his decorative animal. It’s a seemingly innocuous moment, but one that clearly hints at a formative experience from Benson’s childhood. Which makes the last shot of the giraffe in Tessa’s play area all the more meaningful.

Anyone who’s seen a trailer for this movie knows what’s gonna go down at the burger place. But that doesn’t stop the movie from alluding to it in the opening minutes. As the staff is being briefed by the manager, Benson is standing under a sign that reads, “No trespassing. Violators will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.” Beyond it being just a sardonic sign, it’s chilling to know that mere minutes later, Benson would conduct his own shooting. And the fact that the sign is hung inside, rather than outside where it would be actually effective, leads us to believe it was deliberately placed there for just such a foreshadowing.

Some of the best movies make sure to punctuate themselves with reflective endings and beginnings, and “The Passenger” is no different. The movie makes sure to hit us out the gate with a striking image as a young Randy watches the aftereffects of his teacher being struck in the eye. The second-grader is obviously too shaken to do anything, but it’s interesting to note how we leave a present-day Randy in the film’s climax. After Benson is fatally shot by the cops, Randy sits on the curb and takes in the upsetting scene. While he’s again watching someone close to him lose blood, it’s important to consider how far he’s come, this time reclaiming his agency and making sure no more innocent people die.

“The Passenger” isn’t the kind of movie to make a bunch of pop culture references just for the sake of it. So when it does, you gotta know that there’s a reason behind it. The most obvious connection to the 2001 cult classic is the shirt that Benson wears after visiting his mother’s house. Emblazoned on the front is the image of a demonic-looking rabbit, which anyone who’s seen the aforementioned flick will see the resemblance to Frank. The allusions don’t end there, however, as Benson resembles Frank insofar as he’s almost a darker alter ego to the main protagonist. What’s more, Frank loses an eye in that movie and that the loss of an eye in this one is a crucial story detail.

Speaking of telling t-shirts, the one Benson gives Randy to put on almost sums up the themes of the whole movie. While Lisa points out the band name, it’s worth mentioning that it also says “Born to Lose, Live to Win,” both of which are songs by Motörhead. The lyrics to both share much in common with the themes of the film, the former song especially. It directly mentions being blinded to truth, which is almost literal in Randy’s case after accidentally blinding Ms. Beard. Much like the lyrics, Benson too wants Randy to stop wasting his life, even though the latter thinks he’s basically “born to lose.” Thankfully, by the film’s end, it does seem that Randy now “lives to win.”