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Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jeffrey DeMunn, Billy Green Bush ... see more see more... , Henry Darrow , Tony Epper , John M. Jackson , Armin Shimerman , Tom Spratley , Jon Van Ness , Jophery C. Brown , Jack Thibeau , Janet Brady , Colin Campbell

Pretty boy actor C. Thomas Howell stars in this dark, violent suspense film about the strange psychological bond between a traveling serial killer and one of his intended victims. Driving cross-countr... read more read more...y from Chicago to San Diego, Jim (Howell) narrowly avoids an accident when he falls asleep at the wheel. He picks up a hitchhiker to help stay awake, but within five minutes, the erratic John Ryder (Rutger Hauer) has threatened not only Jim's life, but also his manhood, brandishing a switchblade to the boy's crotch and ordering him to keep driving. Jim manages to escape, but soon Ryder begins a game of cat-and-mouse across the Texas highways, taunting the lad from the windows of passing cars, then leaving the corpses of his victims in their vehicles by the side of the road for Jim to discover. A sympathetic face arrives in the form of Nash (Jennifer Jason Leigh), the waitress at an otherwise deserted truck stop in this bleak, abandoned landscape, but the local police soon arrive, intent on hanging Jim out to dry for the string of grisly murders. The stakes continue to mount in Ryder's little game until Jim finds himself embroiled in a statewide manhunt with Nash at his side. Former cinematographer Robert Harmon made his directorial debut with this popular thriller; screenwriter Eric Red, also making his debut, would go on to write similarly brooding genre fare including Near Dark, Bad Moon, and Alien 3. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Flixster Users

73% liked it

42,631 ratings

Critics

59% liked it

32 critics

R, 1 hr. 38 min.

Directed by: Robert Harmon

Release Date: January 1, 1986

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DVD Release Date: June 8, 1999

Stats: 1,883 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,883)

  • brooklynspo
    September 14, 2007
    brooklynspo
    Jennifer Jason Lee is the actress I dislike the most. No wait, that would be Reese Witherspoon.

    Rutger Hauer is cool but he's wasted in this lame thriller. Slight upside: Jennifer Jason Lee gets torn in half. Hmmm, maybe there's a movie where Reese Witherspoon gets ripped... read more in half...
  • jmanard52
    March 22, 2007
    jmanard52
    This was an amazing thrill ride one of the best ive ever seen. Rutger Hauer is awesome in this role.
  • theunknownhobo
    July 17, 2011
    theunknownhobo
    This movie is the definition of watchable horror. Its fast enough to keep you interested, sick enough to make it onto your shelf and memorable enough to watch it again and again, without ever actually getting bored of it.
  • ceWEBrity
    May 16, 2011
    ceWEBrity
    Guns are bad choices of weaponry for a horror movie. They widen the gap between stalker and stalked, give the protagonists more opportunity to empower themselves (and by proxy the audience), and just seem to lack the same bodily threat that melee weapons do. As menacing as Rutger... read more Hauer is as the titular hitcher, John Ryder, the scenes of him barreling down the highway and blowing cops in pursuit away with a handful of hot lead really lack any sort of horrific impact. We get a few spooky setpieces, such as a police station or a little problem with Jennifer Jason Leigh, but The Hitcher's persistent brightness and lack of interest in actual fear seems to defeat it as its marketed genre. It is instead best taken as a dust-choked actioner, sort of in the vein of Blood Simple or even No Country for Old Men, except without quite the technical proficiency or depth of theme. It's a much more natural fit for Hauer's gunslinging sociopath, who's really too showy for a horror movie anyway - but what a show it is. This film has a lot of character, but know what you're getting yourself into before you expect brutal horror violence or a constantly dark and sinister atmosphere.
  • cancercapricorn2002
    May 15, 2011
    cancercapricorn2002
    There are movies inspired by books, by comics, even by video-games but this is the first time I've seen and heard of a movie inspired by a song. More precisely the song is "Riders On The Storm" by "The Doors" . What is even more surprising is that it turned out to be one very sus... read morepenseful and entertaining movie.

    "The Hitcher" doesn't depend on delivering a solid and memorable experience based on a strong plot-line. Instead it relies on the simple premise of a character being chased by a relentless and sociopathic killer. This could have easily been mistaken for a John Carpenter film, it feels like a combination of "Halloween" and "Assault On Precinct 13". Not because of the plot or backgrounds, but more so because of it's focus on delivering a high paced thrilling and also terrifying experience based on the director's skill alone. There is a simple idea and the director builds on it, setting the atmosphere and pace. Like watching a game of "cat and mouse" on a roller-coaster ride. When it starts falling down hold tight until the next climb.

    In order for a film like this to even begin thinking that it could be a good, one objective must be accomplished. Strong written characters that react believable to the given situation. "The Hitcher" has that. With Jim Halsey (played by C. Thomas Howell), a normal guy who's just a little too naive for his own good. As the movie progresses we see him change, we see him adapt to the situation. He questions himself, he questions his beliefs and then he fights back. And what can be said about Rutger Hauer's John Ryder? He is the epitome of evil, of death. Yet he has that look, of a man pushed to the limit and beyond, a man who understands what he has become and wants to stop himself. Hauer's character emanates that same aura Clint Eastwood's character had in "High Plains Drifter", there is just something supernatural to him. We never get an explanation on who he really is. Only a feel, a slight glimpse, that he might be something beyond a simple killer and this might be something beyond a thrill ride. This is one movie that after the credits begin to roll you'll find yourself thinking about. It certainly ends in a open way, and there are some interesting interpretations that go way beyond it's premise.

    Director Robert Harmon has done a wonderful job in turning this inspired by "The Doors"'s music, script into a memorable and terrifying ride. Both Hauer and Howell are great as their respective characters with tensions rising whenever they're both on screen. And with a running time of 97 minutes there never is a dull moment, "The Hitcher" doesn't drag on nor does it feel cut in any sort of way. What we have in the end is perfectly balanced in terms of pace, movie with a fitting conclusion to it.

    When released "The Hitcher" received a lot of bashing from critics. They didn't like the fact that Ryder's character remains "unexplained", in fact they hated it for that. If there had been included a simple reason for Ryder's behavior wouldn't this turn the film into a just another simple serial murderer type thriller? Or worse yet it would have destroyed the film's almost supernatural feel, it would have eliminated any reasons for a deeper analysis on the plot and characters. Furthermore it would have killed the strength of the ending.

    Sometimes you must let all your expectations for a deep and complex movie go, in order to be entertained. And sometimes you must accept the fact that not everything in a movie is easily explained, sometimes you're prompted to think beyond the traditional methods of storytelling. Weirdly enough "The Hitcher" combines both, it can be a deep and intriguing movie for some, but it could also be a pop-corn flick for others.
  • fb100002359227440
    May 7, 2011
    fb100002359227440
    O clima assustador faz com que o filme fique cada vez mas tenso e garante que a pessoa que esta assistindo, acompanhe a estória atà (C) ao fim.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    March 24, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    This is a cool little gem of Horror, C. Thomas Howell and Rutger Hauer, especially Rutger Hauer are really good. Hauer put on a really convincing performance and was definitely great, He should be up there with the Horror maniacs such as Jason, Freddy, and Michael Myers. Back to ... read morethe film, this film is a thrill a minute roller coaster ride, once the film starts, it doesn't stray to far away from the Horror yet to come. Overall a very solid Horror/Thriller. What I love about this film is the steady buildup of tension that leads to ultimate horror. The Hitcher is a superbly crafted horror film. The film is a tense ride into madness that doesn't let up, and will entertain the most diehard horror fan. The Hitcher combines elements of thriller, suspense and psychological elements to create one memorable film that is one of the best horror films of the 80's and is quite possibly the best horror film to deal with the open road. The film has surreal undertone that demands to be watched as a nightmare . The cat and mouse game that John Ryder plays with his victim is terrifying and the viewer is sucked in to the madness and chaos than Ryder ensues on his victims.
  • ajv2688
    January 17, 2011
    ajv2688
    A very cool, exciting horror thriller, I really liked this movie.
  • 76Majikat
    November 24, 2010
    76Majikat
    the ending for me lacked a little explanation, especially as the question to why the killer was killing was asked during the film.

    Rutger Hauer was kind of good as the relentless chaser, but a lot of boring bits throughout.
  • ScoopOnline
    December 9, 2009
    ScoopOnline
    There is no other better Hitcher than the one with Sean Bean my Friends. Forget all the Hitchers ever made except the one with Sean Bean. As much as I like C. Thomas Howell, I found myself forwarding the Movie if there was a atleast a tiny bit nice scene.

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Critic Reviews

Variety Staff
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff, Variety

A highly unimaginative slasher that keeps the tension going with a massacre about every 15 minutes. Full Review

Janet Maslin
May 20, 2003
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Mr. Hauer, who has reportedly vowed not to play any more villains or crackpots, is probably making the right decision, if this is any measure of the sort of role that comes his way. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

I would have admired it more if it had found the courage to acknowledge the real relationship it was portraying between Howell and Rutger, but no: It prefers to disguise itself as a violent thriller, ... Full Review

Charles Cassady
December 15, 2010
Charles Cassady, Common Sense Media

Spare and engrossing original road slaughterfest. Full Review

Fernando F. Croce
February 12, 2010
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

An uncanny frisson, plus a road of endless curves Full Review

August 30, 2009
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Feature debuts don't come much better than director Robert Harmon and screenwriter Eric Red's sleek, dream-like thriller about a naïve college boy who crosses paths with devil in the flesh after takin... Full Review

Bryant Frazer
February 22, 2007
Bryant Frazer, Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

Without the original film's subtext of male bonding gone awry, nothing here has a shred of psychological resonance. Full Review

Pablo Villaca
April 29, 2006
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena

A partir de um conceito simples, o diretor cria tensão e transforma seu vilão (muito bem vivido por Hauer) em uma figura quase alegórica.

February 9, 2006
Time Out

It's a highly competent sick-fright version of the evergreen chase formula. Full Review

Chuck O'Leary
October 10, 2005
Chuck O'Leary, FulvueDrive-in.com

Rutger Hauer is so menacing as the title fiend that you'll never pick up a hitchhiker. An absolutely relentless horror-thriller.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Facts

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    • Jim Halsey: What do you want?
    • John Ryder: I want you to stop me.
    • John Ryder: Gas stations have cigarettes.
    • Jim Halsey: What about gas?
    • John Ryder: I don't need gas.
    • Jim Halsey: What do you want? What's so funny?
    • John Ryder: (stops Laughing) - That's what the other guy said.
    • Jim Halsey: What other guy?
    • John Ryder: That guy back there, the one we just passed. The guy who picked me up before you did.
    • Jim Halsey: That was him in there?
    • John Ryder: Sure it was. He couldn't have walked very far.
    • Jim Halsey: Why's that?
    • John Ryder: Because I cut off his legs, and his arms, and his Head. And I'm going to do the same to you.
    • Jim Halsey: (yelling to the family driving in a car beside his; after seeing the Hitcher in their backseat) - Hey! Pull over! Pull over! The guy in your car's a nut! That guy's a fu*king nut in your car! Pull over! That guy will kill you! That guy, get him out of your car!
    • John Ryder: (John leaps into the police truck that Jim is driving) - Hi kid!
    • John Ryder: You wanna know what happens to an eyeball when it gets punctured? Do you got any idea how much blood jets out of a guy's neck when his throat's been slit?
    • Jim Halsey: (trying to get policemen to help untie Nash from between two large trucks) - Why don't you do something?FUCKING DO SOMETHING!
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The Hitcher Trivia

  • who playedthe hitcher in the original movie the hitcher starring c thomas howell?  Answer »
  • I've played the head cheerleader in a teen drama series, a vegan activist in John Tucker Must Die, I've starred in The Hitcher, and I've even been on Punk'd when I was tricked by my friend. Who am I?  Answer »
  • Who Plays the villian in The Original "The Hitcher"?  Answer »
  • I have starred in these movies: The Hitcher Lord of the Ring and the Fellowship of the Ring 007 Goldeneye Who am I?  Answer »
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