The Hitcher is part of a long tradition of road-side horror movies in which urban travelers discover that the open road’s promise goes hand in hand with its shadowy dangers, and stands alongside such stellar examples as Spielberg’s Duel and Mostow’s Breakdown. Rutger Hauer plays John Ryder, a killer with a psychotic gleam in his eye and an ugly knife in his pocket. When C. Thomas Howell’s Jim Halsey picks him up at dawn on a deserted Texan highway, Hauer immediately makes his intentions clear by scaring the boy witless. When the Howell fights back, however, then the hitcher has found what he needs – a decent adversary – and an extreme game of cat and mouse begins on this desolate stretch of highway. Every car that passes, and every poor soul who rides that road, are going to take part whether they want to or not.
The performances of the 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.
Hauer is at the top of his game as the menacing title fiend. His wild, shining eyes glowing like those of a nocturnal predator maniacally focused on his prey, and his relaxed physique masks an imposing, coiled viciousness. Never has Hauer been so evil.
The film works because you feel the desperation and emptiness that Howell’s character is put through as Hauer plays his mind games with him. The tension is high throughout the film and the stunts are all very well staged. The direction is brilliant and the vast desert scenes are spectacular. The film is dark and flows with a pace that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
A hidden gem and a great cult film, The Hitcher is fantastic. Right from the beginning it’s almost impossible to resist shouting at your screen telling to protagonist what to do and not do, director Robert Harmon brings a nice sense of atmosphere to the proceedings. As for the remake, forget it, this is the real deal, and no remake will ever be able to top this original. An absolutely relentless 80s horror-thriller.