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The Hitcher (1986)

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34 out of 37 people found the following comment useful :-
"Do I look like a killer to you?", 6. November 2001
Author: Backlash007 von Kentucky

The Hitcher is a marvelous thriller and Rutger Hauer is truly scary as hell. He is undoubtedly one of the best villains in cinematic history. The game that Hauer and C. Thomas Howell play out makes for a great way to spend an hour and a half of your life. You can't help but feel sorry for Howell as he can never escape the madman. Hauer has zero motive and that makes him all the more evil. And how he always finds Howell is something that is unnerving and unexplainable. It's like their paths were meant to cross somewhere out in in the desert. Eric Red's script leaves nothing to be desired. The scene where Howell is eating french fries is one of the most unforgettable in horror history. And so is the event that leads to the capture of Hauer. The end is fantastic and it's something that you want to do through the entire movie. It will definitely make you think twice before picking up hitchhikers. If you enjoyed The Hitcher, Check out Hitch-Hike (with David Hess) and Duel.

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29 out of 36 people found the following comment useful :-
Gripping throughout, yet..., 4. August 2005

Author: Mike Conrad (ConradDC) von Washington, D.C.

Murder Spree Road Flick. Contains many fairly stupid moments ("plot holes") and yet remains gripping throughout its length. Graphic, stunning violence; be warned.

Howell is slightly vapid yet pretty and his relations with Rutger Hauer verge on the homo-erotic. Hauer is a near-perfect villain, demonstrating the steely resolve and psychological impenetrability that have made him a favorite "bad guy" in other films.

A great movie for the paranoid who wish to feed their fantasies. Owes something to Spielberg's "Duel" but remains its own film. Relatively spare visual style well-suited to the theme. Recommended, but not for the faint of heart.

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27 out of 33 people found the following comment useful :-
A classic in my view!, 3. Januar 2002
Author: Thomas Jolliffe (supertom-3) von Marlow, England

Starring everybody's favourite Dutchman, Rutger Hauer, this superb road movie thriller is tense, thrilling and superbly atmospheric.

The first scene between the Hitcher and Jim Holsey was superb, Rutger puts in a chilling performance. Mr Hauer has a reputation for pulling off some memorable bad guy performances, namely this, Blade runner and Nighthawks, but this is my favourite of his performances. The lines he has were brilliant. The pacing of the film was very good and apart from Rutger stealing the show the other actors were good. Jennifer Jason Leigh was good in her small role and of course C Thomas Howell in the lead does a good job. Overall this gets a 9/10 from me.

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27 out of 35 people found the following comment useful :-
Incredible achievement in the art department, but not for everybody, 15. Mai 2002

Author: Bogey Man von Finland

The Hitcher (1986) was a directing debut for Robert Harmon, who had previously worked as a cameraman. The film is written by Eric Red whose other credits as a writer include brilliant Near Dark by Kathryn Bigelow. The Hitcher tells the story of an ordinary young man, who is taking his friend's car to other state/destination through the empty and deserted roads of America. He is very tired and almost collides with a huge truck. It rains hard. Soon he notices a figure standing by the side of the road raising his thumb..Our youngster unwisely stops and says the legendary line: "My mom always told not to do this." And then, the incredible and surrealistic nightmare begins...

This film is unbelievably beautifully shot and it is easy to see that Harmon was cinematographer before this directing debut. Camera flows and moves so smoothly and gently that the atmosphere is guaranteed to last throughout the film. The music by Mark Isham is also extremely important element and with the exceptional camerawork, these are the greatest elements in this piece of difficult art. The scenes are very similar in mood to Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark which has the unforgettable music by Tangerine Dream, and both films are scripted by Eric Red, as mentioned earlier. The Hitcher is one of the most beautiful terror films I've ever witnessed.

The Hitcher is not a realistic film and the hitcher character played by Rutger Hauer is not a realistic human being as he can follow the young protagonist (C.J Howell) anywhere and always knows where he is. He will kill the youngster no matter what and no one can tell why. Even the hitcher himself doesn't give a clear answer when he is asked why he kills and does these horrific things. My opinion is that the hitcher is a double side of Howell's personality (everyman's personality) and he is the bad and evil side of human beings' nature. The hitcher is pure evil and no one can change his thoughts and mind, because evil cannot be changed or turned into "good." It is about which side, evil or good, is one's primary personality. There are always both sides, but the both cannot influence at the same time..Howell has to destroy the hitcher/his bad and evil side in order to continue his life and recognize and accept his and others' "dual personality" in the future. There are no good persons in the world, there are only persons who can control their bad/evil side and keep it "un-active", and so they can be considered "good."

Couple of scenes are totally outstanding in their virtuosity such as the scene where two police cars are destroyed by a shotgun blast and they fly and crash in a slow motion. That kind of thing would never happen in real world, but those unrealistic scenes make this film even more nightmarish and effective. Also, the end scene between these two protagonists, Hauer and Howell, is memorable and gorgeously shot. I will definitely not spoil how this one ends, but at the end, the main character is much more wiser and knows that human beings and thus himself are not as simple as one might think..

There is no point in describing the greatest scenes in the film because the whole film is so great. It is unmatchable nightmare that has no equal in history of cinema. It handles the theme of wickedness in a form of road movie and horror movie and the result is perfect piece of art. When I said earlier "difficult art" I meant that due to the film's violence (there is not plenty, but that what is on screen is brutal and disturbing) this may be too hard to take and understand for most of the viewers. So this cannot be recommended for everybody like some mainstream movie, but people with open minds and hunger for intelligent and symbolic cinema should love this film, even though it is pretty difficult to "love" !

I have seen this three times now and it unfolds more and more with each viewing time. 10 out of 10 masterpiece.

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28 out of 39 people found the following comment useful :-
The Good And Bad Of The Hitcher, 16. Dezember 2005

Author: ccthemovieman-1 von Lockport, NY, United States

The first time I saw this movie it just about terrified me....and few films have ever done that to me as an adult. Rutger Hauer was haunting as the demented killer.

The film moves very fast in this story of a maniac stalking a young motorist (C. Thomas Howell). Two subsequent viewings have quieted the fear but it's still a very chilling film and should keep most people riveted to the screen. It's an hour- and-a-half that will fly by with action and suspense.

On the negative side, not once but twice we have to watch Howell vomit. Neither he nor female lead Jennifer Jason Leigh are likable "good guys." (Of course, when has Leigh ever been a "good person" on screen?) The police, as usual in films, are pictured as sadistic, short-tempered idiots. Finally, credibility gets stretched a bit, particularly in the last 30 minutes.

So....expect a lot of good and a fair share of bad in this film. But, overall, it will be a film that will get your attention, beginning with Mr. Hauer.

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13 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Quick Reviews!!, 25. April 2005

Author: malkane316 von NI

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

A definitive Road Movie which features some impressive stunt work, chases and crashes, as well as a storming performance from Rutger Hauer and some shocking moments and twists. One of the best underrated films of the eighties, and apparently set to be remade. Sigh.

C.Thomas Howell plays a Jim, young man with the job of driving a car for his company through the desert to California. One ominous, rainy night he sees a hitchhiker at the side of the road, and decides to pick him up. 'My mother told me never to do this' he says jokingly, but it soon becomes clear that the hiker, John Ryder is a little strange. He doesn't talk much and soon becomes violent and sadistic. Jim grows increasingly worried and gets rid of the Hitcher when he gets the chance. This gets his heart pumping, and he drives on. However, later he finds that the Hitcher is following him, and that he is a murderer, getting picked up, killing those in the car, and moving on. He is a serial killer of anyone who picks him up. When Jim sees him in the back of car with a family he tries to warn them but they don't realise. Later he finds their car, empty at the side of the road. Jim reports the deaths, but Ryder makes it look as if Jim is the killer, continually framing him. Jim meets a truck stop waitress, Nash who believes he is innocent and joins him on the road, but Ryder, and the cops are on his tail. Just when Jim thinks he is safe, that the cops believe him, Ryder appears and destroys everything again with an uncanny ability to kill and survive. Eventually he catches up with Jim and Nash, and kidnaps her. The cops come too late, and see that Jim was telling the truth all along. He has Nash in a slightly dangerous position and wants Jim to come with him to save her life. Soon the pair are on the road together in one final fight and chase where Jim becomes more and more violent and unhinged.

The ambiguous ending is a source of much discussion, as are many of the unanswered questions of the film. But we're smart kids, we can figure it out. We do not need to know any motive for murder- does it matter when someone is stalking you relentlessly? This adds to the tension of the chase, and the madness to Ryder's character. The reasons do not matter, it is the fact that we will spend time trying to work it out rather than facing the fact that someone is after us and trying to deal with it. You can search for reasons afterwards, if you must. Reasons are given for comfort, so that we have something concrete to hold on to, but we are not meant to feel any comfort here. It is a nightmare which seems to get worse as it continues, and there seems to be no escape, Hitchcockian in the way the falsely accused man is sought and tries to prove his innocence. In the end this does not matter either- all that matters from the start is what happens between Jim and John. Nash is a tragic figure, showing what can happen to the innocent when they get involved with something evil. A killer of Ryder's nature does not care who gets in his way, by the point where he catches Nash, all he cares about is changing and hurting Jim. Does Jim become like Ryder by the end? Is he redeemed or cursed by getting revenge? This is up to us.

Some of the crashes here rank with The Road Warrior as some of the best ever filmed. They are filmed in such a way to heighten the sense of Ryder's madness and seeming immortality, and to show the growing fear and detachment of Jim. The score is also very subtle, and the dialogue, especially between Jim and John is meant to be ambiguous and give rise to questions-Ryder is looking for a reaction and thought from Jim, as the director is from us. Hauer steals the film, giving arguably his best performance, and it remains one of the best performances in a horror movie. Howell has caused annoyance amongst critics and viewers for his performance, but he portrays the fear, naivety and excitement of a teen going out on his own for the first time. His portrayal of being wrongly accused, trying to escape the cops and Ryder, trying to save others, and eventually becoming solely interested in revenge, is perfect and could not be bettered by any other actor. Leigh as Nash is also strong and we feel sympathy for her as she is drawn deeper into the game, and she offers a softer emotional content than the two increasingly frantic men give. Say what you will of her treatment, but this was the only way Ryder could get what he wanted from Jim. A cult classic which deserves much credit and respect.

9 out of 10

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13 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
an intense, nihilistic take on the 'predator/prey' theme, 16. Januar 2003

Author: Jonny_Numb von Hellfudge, Pennsylvania

A cat spends the day chasing a mouse. When he finally corners the mouse, he takes sadistic delight in batting it around, playing with it before it goes in for the kill. The cat wishes to savor the look of fear on its prey, instead of merely indulging the reward it's worked so hard to catch. This is the predator/prey relationship evidenced in "The Hitcher," one of the most relentlessly intense and mean-spirited horror films ever made.

Since the setting is the desert, I suppose it would make more sense to call John Ryder (played by Rutger Hauer) a vicious coyote, who is picked up one rainy night by a stray lamb named Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell). Ryder, who's apparently been murdering people all over the desert, is looking to do the same with Halsey, who cheats death only to be tormented for the rest of the film by this savage predator. The coyote craves a challenge--in fact, he seems to live for it.

Nothing else needs to be said. "The Hitcher" relies so heavily on a plot that weaves in and out of 'the expected' that any further description would spoil the fun. The two leads are excellent--Rutger Hauer has created one of the great villains of modern cinema, and C. Thomas Howell is a sympathetic and believable victim driven to madness. While the film isn't necessarily deep, the high-energy cast, moody desert settings and twisty script fuel this effort for 98 intense minutes. 3.5 stars out of 5.

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9 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Thrilling blood-fest!, 9. November 2006

Author: jamiecostelo58 von United Kingdom

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This excellent film tells the viewer one very simple but demanding message: Don't pick up a hitchhiker! A young C. Thomas Howell is Jim Halsey, driving along a deserted stretch of mountainous desert road. After nearly falling asleep at the wheel he stops and picks up what turns out be The Hitcher, John Ryder (brilliantly played by a thoroughly convincing Rutger Hauer). When Ryder threatens to kill Jim, the young man pushes him out of the fast moving car, and thinks the nightmare is over. In fact it's only just begun...

Cue a terrifying series of events where The Hitcher seems indestructible, killing innocent people and not giving a care in the world about them or himself.

The Hitcher as a film flows beautifully (despite its short 93min length), with wonderfully ominous music, great direction from Robert Harmon (this was his feature film directorial debut), and a watchable performance from Jennifer Jason Leigh as Nash, Jim's only friend in the entire film! This was certainly a brave effort from all concerned, and will certainly be far superior to the remake out in 2007, as well as the extremely poor sequel in 2003. The Hitcher will go down as one of the most thrilling, scary and psychological films of all time.

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7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Atmospheric suspense thriller, 19. November 2006

Author: fertilecelluloid von Mountains of Madness

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Eric Red wrote some fascinating genre scripts in the 80's, including this and "Near Dark" (which he co-scripted with Kathryn Bigelow), and what distinguishes both of them is nihilism. Robert Harmon's "The Hitcher" is an atmospheric suspense thriller probably inspired by the Ida Lupino flick, "The Hitch Hiker", or one of the best "Twilight Zone" episodes that explored similar terrain. In "The Hitcher", Rutger Hauer is a psychopath whose idea of fun is terrorizing C. Thomas Howell and his companion Jennifer Jason Leigh. He has unexplained supernatural abilities to travel faster than your average maniac, and his motives are deliberately vague. This approach works for the most part, but once the film hits the sixty minute mark, its very spare structure fails to support the narrative. There are some amazing car stunts, high-powered violence, and stunning images courtesy of Aussie lenser John Seale. Leigh, who is a superb actress, has the leastrole here, and, not surprisingly, ends up bring ripped into two bloody halves because there's nothiong else to do with her. Hauer is exceptional in the lead role, and was never this good or this frightening again. The fact that he has so little dialog is what keeps him interesting. Too much dialog for a villain is always death. C. Thomas Howell, a limited actor, is adequate as Hauer's innocent victim. Director Harmon returned to similar terrain recently in the lacklustre "Highwaymen". Score by Mark Isham is a plus.

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8 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
A truly first rate thrill-ride!, 6. November 2005

Author: The_Void von Beverley Hills, England

It's hard to believe upon seeing The Hitcher that the film never saw the inside of the cinemas. It was video rental that got this film known, and thank god it did because The Hitcher is a truly first rate thriller! The film doesn't waste time with intricate plot details or explaining character motivations; instead, The Hitcher puts all the focus on the central theme and that does the film no end of favours when it comes to thrilling the audience. The central plot line follows the 'cat and mouse' structure, as we see a young man pick up a hitcher, only for the hitcher to turn out to be an unrelenting madman. What follows is a relentless chase across a desolate desert setting as the young man tries to escape the man that he tried to do a favour for. The idea behind the film had been used before in films like the brilliant 'Hitch-Hike', but The Hitcher makes the plot line it's own simply by not letting up for a minute. Every time there's a slow moment, the film quickly turns around and delivers more shocks and thrills; and it's that mentality behind the film that ensures the audience will be kept on the edge of their seats.

A huge reason for The Hitcher's cult success is Rutger Hauer's performance at the centre of the movie. His portrayal of the title character is rich in ambiguity and is one of the few genuinely frightening performances in all of cinema. Hauer ensures that he's frightening by never giving any reason for his attacks and that, coupled with his very cold persona; make the character the last person you would want to pick up on a deserted desert highway. C. Thomas Howell is the exact opposite in his role as frightened kid, and he and Hauer make a very good cat and mouse. Jennifer Jason Leigh rounds off the cast with her performance as a trashy waitress. Despite being made for cable television and not having the biggest budget in cinematic history, The Hitcher never seems stretched and this reflects best during the car chases and the gas station explosion scene. The film never goes over the top with the special effects, but the ones it does have work and this ensures that you never question the film, resulting in a plot line that an audience can easily buy into. On the whole, The Hitcher is easily one of the most exciting films ever made and comes with high recommendations to everyone!

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