Navigation

The Hitcher (1986)

Dir: Robert Harman

Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) is on a long road trip to California to take a customer their car.
It's night and he's tired. He suddenly spots a figure hitching a ride in the pouring rain. Stopping he let's the Man in.
The hitcher gives his name as John Ryder (Rutger Hauer) and is only in the car for a few minutes before he acts strange.
Ryder then informs a spooked Jim that he has just killed the last Man who gave him a ride.
Horrified, Halsey then has a knife pointed at his face. Ryder announces that he want's Jim to stop him.

Jim kicks Ryder out the door and speeds off. But Ryder is not that easy to get rid of. And soon he is stalking Halsey, turning his life into a living Hell………

A classic example of tight, intense, mid budget, 80's American film making. From the start as Mark Isham's superbly brooding score kicks in over the red, rain spattered titles the viewer is gripped.
When an imposing Hauer (who here reminds us why he was such a popular and exciting actor) is then illuminated in the headlights the tension is heightened to real edge of the set limits.

From that moment on, via some amazing Cinematography by John Seale (who went on to do "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone"), Isham's driving then melodic and thoughtful music, the delightfully script, the perfectly judged performances (a young Jennifer Jason Leigh, even against such wonderful turns by Howell and Hauer, also makes a strong impression as her likeable character becomes caught up in the cat and mouse game) and Harman's assured Direction, the film never lets it's grip on it's audience slip.

The aforementioned, and quite simply great, script by Eric Red (also check out "Cohen and Tate", that he Directed as well as wrote, with Roy Scheider about two hit men escorting a child hostage across America. A good, low key, very clever drama/thriller) that pulls some truly unexpected and surprisingly brave twists,
But it's the scripts complex relationship between Jim and Ryder that is the films real strength.
Without question Red has given us one of the most twisted and thought provoking character conflicts seen in a movie.
Ryder is never painted as sympathetic, but his (almost homoerotic at times) relationship with Halsey certainly gives him a depth and a certain dark, disturbing pathos that takes the audience by surprise and makes for some uncomfortable viewing.

Ryder is unflinchingly ruthless and driven (those that have seen the film will know just how ruthless he gets) and yet it is obvious he recognises his madness and seeks release.
He is too much of a predator and too downright egotistical to commit suicide, or let just anyone 'take him out'.
He wants Jim to give him release, but (deranged and nasty as he is of course) at the same time hopes to corrupt Jim and warp his sanity before that happens.
Perhaps it's to create another killer, or perhaps...and this is a great bit of psychology by Red… he does this to punish Halsey for actually killing him! Or maybe even to punish Halsey for not having the strength of will *not* to cave in and go along with Ryder's plan.

Clever stuff, and the kind of writing and characters you very rarely see in this type of film.

Red also hints that there is something otherworldly about Ryder. The way he just seems to know where Halsey is, the way he drifts like a ghost into scenes (his appearance and then disappearance in the Diner is a great example of this) and his almost superhuman ability to simply kill anyone, anywhere.
It's a truly outstanding, commanding and haunting performance by the once mighty Hauer.

Howell, who since this film has slipped into video obscurity and now looks sadly older than his years, does an equally impressive job. He makes Jim an everyman. An innocent caught up in something he can't explain or control. Yet Jim never becomes an annoying, weak character. Even at his lowest when Ryder has (or so he thinks) taken him as far as he can go there remains a fighting, righteous spirit in him. And as Halsey the confused victim becomes Halsey the resigned but determined adversary Howell never misses a beat.

Harman (who has not made many films and certainly never made anything as good as "The Hitcher") handles the classic suspense set-ups perfectly giving us some now famous moments of psychological and very physical horror. But he also knows how to deliver the action, and the car chase/stunt sequences are textbook examples of well-crafted excitement. Some fine work on show here by Stunt Coordinator Eddy Donno.

"The Hitcher" is a key film of the 80's that still holds up just as well today, almost 17 years later, as it did back then.
It's tense, exciting, has some truly unexpected and shocking moments, is perfect in the acting, Direction and technical departments and has one of the most intelligent and thought provoking scripts you will ever find in a horror or thriller movie.

Essential viewing