Solid enough suspense-thriller with great action and menacing performance from Rutger Hauer, a few moments in the story felt a bit clunky, mainly how Jennifer Jason Leigh's character gets involved, which I will say the 2007 remake at least improved upon. Just a highly entertaining flick. **3.5/5**
The terror starts the moment he stops.
On a stormy night, young Jim, who transports a luxury car from Chicago to California to deliver it to its owner, feeling tired and sleepy, picks up a mysterious hitchhiker, who has appeared out of nowhere, thinking that a good conversation will help him not to fall asleep. He will have enough time to deeply regret such an unmeditated decision.
Top Cast
Rutger Hauer
John Ryder
C. Thomas Howell
Jim Halsey
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Nash
Jeffrey DeMunn
Captain Esteridge
Billy Green Bush
Trooper Donner
John M. Jackson
Sergeant Starr
Henry Darrow
Trooper Hancock
Jon Van Ness
Trooper Hapscomb
Jack Thibeau
Trooper Prestone
Armin Shimerman
Interrogation Sergeant
Gene Davis
Trooper Dodge
Tony Epper
Trooper Conners
Tom Spratley
Proprietor
Colin Campbell
Construction Man
Reviews
**_Thrilling desert road flick ruined by an implausible villain_** This is an action-packed thriller with the milieu of the remote Southwest à la Eastwood’s “The Gauntlet” mixed with psychological horror, even slasher. So, it’s reminiscent in ways of “Duel,” “The Getaway” and "Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry," but the enigmatic antagonist’s twistedness and powers add a goofy slasher vibe. The writer defended this on…
*The Hitcher* is a tense, brutal road thriller that turns a simple drive through the desert into a full-blown nightmare. I loved how lean and relentless it is: it wastes almost no time explaining itself, instead building dread through empty highways, eerie silences, and the sense that danger could appear anywhere. Rutger Hauer is phenomenal as John Ryder—calm, charismatic, and genuinely terrifying without ever…
FAQ about The Hitcher
What is The Hitcher about?
On a stormy night, young Jim, who transports a luxury car from Chicago to California to deliver it to its owner, feeling tired and sleepy, picks up a mysterious hitchhiker, who has appeared out of nowhere, thinking that a good conversation will help him not to fall asleep. He…
When was The Hitcher released?
The Hitcher was released in 1986.
What genres does The Hitcher belong to?
The Hitcher is categorised as Horror, Action, Thriller.
Who stars in The Hitcher?
The cast of The Hitcher includes Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jeffrey DeMunn, Billy Green Bush.