André Øvredal’s Upcoming Horror Film Promises To Be Scariest Yet

Director André Øvredal is promising his newest 2026 horror film is going to be his scariest yet, which is horrifying since he made one of the scariest supernatural movies of all time. Passenger is the latest film to come from the mind of André Øvredal.

He’s made a solid career for himself with some incredible movies that have scared the daylights out of fans, including his own take on Dracula. Now, with the latest trailer, it’s clear that Øvredal is cooking up something special. He’s even going as far as hyping the film up as the scariest film he’s ever made, as he told Bloody Disgusting in a recent interview.

However, what’s truly unsettling about this praise from the director is that he’s saying this after already having made one of the scariest supernatural films of all time.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe is a 2016 horror film directed by Øvredal that follows a mortician and his son performing an autopsy on an unknown woman. As they continue to probe into who she is and how she died, the morgue becomes more unsettling with horrific things happening in the night.

Jane Doe has become an underrated cult classic for many horror fans. For the past 10 years, it’s become a regularly recommended film for those looking for something beyond the mainstream, and it still holds up remarkably well today.

The Autopsy Of Jane Doe Is One Of The Most Terrifying Films Ever Made

What makes The Autopsy of Jane Doe so remarkable is how it plays with isolation and claustrophobia. The film is restricted to the basement of a funeral home while a thunderstorm is pounding away outside.

There’s no way in or out, making the scares far more unnerving. Every creak and footstep is enough to make the audience’s hair on end as the night drags on, and the horrors ramp up.

The film also benefits from having a fascinating mystery. Jane Doe’s body is filled with so many secrets that make the audience want to know more, along with the morticians.

Whether it’s causes of death that don’t match what’s seen on the body or full-blown witchcraft sigils etched inside the skin, there are non-stop questions that are satisfyingly answered in the film’s twisted climax.

If Passenger Matches The Fear Of Jane Doe, It Will Be A Huge Hit

Given how beloved Jane Doe has become in the horror community, it’s set a high bar to clear for Øvredal’s career. However, based on the recently released trailer, it’s entirely possible that he has managed to surpass his greatest film.

For starters, the atmosphere seems incredibly dark. It’s a perfect mood-setter for a film where an entity is following a woman on a trip through the dark. There are so many unknown things people can come across on the road, so playing into this unknown is a brilliant way to explore the horrific premise.

Things like a burning church and a field full of body bags also hint at a more abstract horror flick that will play on the viewer’s mind as they continue to watch.

This is remarkably similar to Jane Doe as the body messes with the morticians’ sanity the further into the unknown they go, so André Øvredal is clearly playing into what made that film work to one-up his greatest success.

Audiences will be able to see how Passenger measures up to The Autopsy of Jane Doe when it releases on May 22, 2026. There are still plenty of secrets left to unravel in André Øvredal’s 2026 horror film, but if he handles it just right, he could indeed surpass his greatest supernatural film accomplishment.

Source: Bloody Disgusting (X)

Release Date

May 22, 2026

Runtime

94 minutes

Director

André Øvredal

Cast

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  Joseph Lopez

  The Passenger