The Hitcher (1986)

Steven Spielberg's first feature film, 1971's Duel, is set on a desert highway. It stars Dennis Weaver as a driver being pursued by a menacing truck, which is following him with all the vengeance of the ancient furies. In this spiritual update from 1984, C. Thomas Howell plays a guy taking a drive-away car from Chicago to San Diego. On a whim, in the rain, and against his better judgment, he picks up a hitchhiker (Rutger Hauer). The hitcher quickly admits to being a murdering psychopath, and once Howell finally gets him out of his car, he is pursued with all the vengeance of the ancient furies. We're never sure if the hitcher is a figment of his imagination, making Howell a schizophrenic killer, or if he's real and Howell is the random victim of a wandering madman, which is how his potential new girlfriend (Jennifer Jason Leigh) thinks of him. Either way, The Hitcher is great fun, kinda scary, and teetering on the brink of "must see." --Andy Spletzer Amazon.com

Very good B movie

Rutger Hauer dominates this classy thriller, with a performance that matches his role in Bladerunner. Every twitch he makes is scary and from the start of the film you are left in no doubt that this guy is seriously deranged. Occasionally some of the other actors wern't quite up to the same standard, but in general this is a well acted film.

Forget about plot and any sense that this could really happen. Think more of Halloween and translate Michael Myers as the Hitcher and you'll be closer. Its well photographed with some images that have almost become iconic.

What surprised me about this film was the way characters that you might normally expect to survive (in a Hollywood film) did not in The Hitcher. So credit where credit is due, not only is this a short and punchy thriller, but it does the unexpected on more than one occasion.

April 1, 2008

Unmissable

The Hitcher is one of the best films ever made and ultimately one of most overlooked as well. The premise of the film is very simple: Jim Halsey is driving a car cross country with plans of dropping it off at his destination when he comes across hitchhiker John Ryder, who seems suspicious from the start. It is incredibly tense and atmospheric and centres around a terrifying performance from Rutger Hauer as John Ryder, a mysterious drifter intent on following C. Thomas Howell's Jim Halsey and making his road trip one that he'll never forget. Most of the film's atmosphere radiates from Hauer as he scares both Howell and the audience with a simple glance which could mean anything and everything. Jennifer Jason Leigh makes an early appearance as a waitress dragged along for the ride after Howell stumbles upon the diner she works at. The performances of the three main actors are involving and it is very easy to feel sympathy for Howell, who has done nothing to deserve the torture he receives at the hands of Hauer, who makes for a terrific villain. A hidden gem and a great cult film, The Hitcher is fantastic. February 18, 2008

Rutger scares like no one else

I absolutely love Rutger Hauer. He can be so scary and this movie is perfectly acted by him. You won't be disappointed. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. February 9, 2008

Nothing scarier than a killer without a reason

It's been years since I saw this one and still like it the same. Rutger Hauer gives a chilling performance as a psychotic hitch hiker. The story begins when a young driver Jim Halsey(C. Thomas Howell) picks up Hauer and gets a knife put to his throat. He soon out wits the killer and a game between the two soon begins. A lethal game that claims several lives on the way to the end. The movie has a decent plot with some action and car chases.

The gore isn't that great. The suspense and Hauer's cold blooded performance are the strength's to this thriller. He is very convincing as the killer especially during this time back in the 80's. The thing I like about this the most is he's just a regular sick guy with no reason behind his actions.

Fans of 80's thriller/horror should definitly check this out. I never saw the remake so I can't make any comparisons if I wanted to. The DVD is weak on extras with only cast bios and subtitle. This is still a good movie worth checking out. December 29, 2007

Rutger is the Hitcher!

Sorry Sean Bean your a fine actor but, your no Rutger Hauer. Hauer nailed that role as "John Ryder" no one else can play that part. Rutger Hauer performance is so amazing as soon as he gets in that car he steals the show he plays the villain very well. Hauer and Howell were so good together it was so real. The car seen between the two in the beginning of the movie was so well done they have very good chemisrty together. In the new movie they added a third person makes no sense at all. It's about a young man driving a drive away car to California, he get's tired so he sees a guy hitching a ride on the side of the road he looks normal and picks him up all he wanted was some one to talk to and keep him a wake. The guy gets in the car and he just happens to be a crazy psycho killer. Having the third person (Remake) in the car took away from the movie. The guy is driving scared out of his mind because, he has a knife in his face the hitcher (Hauer) is crazy your sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to see if this poor guy makes it or not. No need for a third person very bad move. Why make a remake of this classic? They should of played it in the theaters again like they did "Jaws" for it's 20th Anniversary. Don't mess with perfection especially if Rutger Hauer is in the movie. December 11, 2007

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