The Hitcher

The Hitcher

Starring Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jeffrey DeMunn

Directed by Robert Harmon

Some of the most terrifying horror movies come from true-life events, as well as those where the killer's motives aren't easily revealed.  We can watch films where Jason Voorhees is chopping up campers or Freddy Krueger is killing kids in their sleep and not really feel any sense of danger, because both of those things are implausible (not so much killing campers, but Voorhees is an immortal killing machine that's been killed and revived again and again).  Then there's films like "The Strangers," which features three killers who enter a couple's home to torment and kill them - and their reasoning: "because you were home."  There was no long-standing vendetta that the killers had, no past sin that the protagonists accidentally committed on them, but rather the killers killed just because they enjoyed it.

"The Hitcher" is one of the films like "The Strangers" that's more terrifying because it could actually happen, along with the fact that the killer has no backstory, no tragic event that could make him sympathetic, or even an actual name - he's the faceless killer that we all have nightmares about invading our homes (or in this case our cars), and we wouldn't see the danger until it's too late because he looks and acts exactly like us.

While on a cross-country trek to deliver a car, young Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) worries he'll fall asleep at the wheel when he sees a man hitchhiking in the rain.  He picks up the man, who calls himself John Ryder (Rutger Hauer), and this seemingly kind act by a stranger soon turns into a time Jim will never forget.  John threatens Jim's life, but Jim manages to get John out of the car and make it to freedom - or so he thought.  As he continues on his way, Jim comes across John again and again, and each time John murders people around Jim, framing Jim for the crimes.  Jim goes on the run not just from the maniacal killer, but the cops as well, aided by waitress Nash (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who's the only one that believes his story.  As the killing intensifies, Jim sets out to clear his name and stop John's carnage before more people die.

"The Hitcher" is a film that could've been more than it delivered, but what was given was a deep character study of two diametrically opposed men who seemingly converge to become one strange type of entity.  The beginning of the film finds John inherently evil and Jim inherently good, but as the two men participate in their pas de deux, they both seemingly meld into one thought process.  John always remains the villain and Jim the hero, but they both learn from one another during their horrific ordeal.  Jim learns to be more assertive and not be the victim, while John seemingly wishes to die, continually taunting Jim to do the deed himself.  It's almost as if Jim was both himself and John, a man with a mental illness that suffers from multiple personalities, and a film like this would easily support that claim: no one ever sees John, he always disappears before police arrive, and it could easily be plausible that this is all Jim's doing - but that might be too cerebral, so instead they just went with the most simple conclusion.

C. Thomas Howell and Rutger Hauer give tremendous performances as Jim and John, the two main leads of the film who command the screen surrounded by virtually unnamed cops who end up being victims (and showcasing the ineptitude of the police force as a whole), with the only other actor given ample screen time going to Jennifer Jason Leigh, who does more than just a typical damsel in distress.  These three actors hold the film on their shoulders, and while it doesn't tread any new territory or offer anything remotely memorable, it still provides a thrilling ride that somehow makes you feel claustrophobic despite it taking place on long stretches of desert road, due to John's seemingly omnipotent presence that lurks behind every shadow and building, leaping out at the most unsuspecting times.  Howell begins the film as a timid man but eventually grows into a man with a spine who sets out to become the hunter rather than the hunted, and through this tough time learns more about himself and how far he's willing to go to survive.
"The Hitcher" is interesting in that it's one of the few films that critic Roger Ebert gave zero stars to, saying it was too violent and shouldn't have been made in the first place, yet director Christopher Nolan lists it as one of his favorites.  The film was released in 1986, and if Ebert would see some of the films put out now, he'd probably compare this to a Disney film - there wasn't a lot of gore or violence, with the majority of it occurring off screen, but back in the day it must've been a bigger deal.  There won't be a discussion about the remake in 2007 because it was just terrible, but even though there wasn't enough gore, "The Hitcher" does succeed in providing some decent scares and surprising twists and turns.

With two strong lead actors at the helm, "The Hitcher" delivers a thrilling roadside horror film that's even more terrifying because it's something that could actually happen - and keeps your attention throughout with the performances and turns it makes.

The Score: A-