Review of The Hitcher (1986) by Itzhak N — 28 Feb 2010

I will forever remember this film. It was one of the first horror movies I can remember watching that made me want to become a part of 'making a movie.' Gotta love the 80's! A lot of movies went to places most movies made today don't dare even approach (no, not even the shit remake) and I think The Hitcher is a perfect example of it.

Now, most people think of this movie as a straight-forward psycho-on-the-loose story and I'm asking you to watch and listen to the film closely. You might just catch a bit more going on like I did (am I delusionsal?).

The first thing that really got to me was the fact tht the killer was never given a 'reason' as to why he was pulling these wacky scenarios on our hero. Was he just completely nuts or was he trying to teach the lad something? If so, what was it? The harshness of reality? How to 'become a man' already? So many unanswered questions that were fascinating to ask in the first place.

Thus, I love the fact that they left this part wide open. Makes me think of something new every time I watch it. Of course, a big part in that was the acting talents. Rutger Hauer gives an amzing performance as John Ryder.

I've never had so many thoughts on one character so quickly. Ryder was creepy, terrifying, funny, sympathetic, interesting etc. He pulled it all off very well. C. Thomas Howell had some funny faccial expressions but somehow it worked for the character.

He plays well off Hauer. Jannifer Jason Leigh could've been a one-dimensional character but she gave it some layers and stood out as a good character. Robert Harmon often made the limited sets that he had to work with look like paintings.

He mixed a lot of gritty violence in with beautiful landscapes and sunshine. Furthermore, he has an excellent handle on suspense, action and atmosphere. Excellent. On top of being a thinking man's film, it's also a relentless action piece.

This is another movie that's BRAVELY low on dialogue and relies on its action and character involvements to tell its tale. I've always appreciated a movie that can pull that off. Car chases, gun plays and even a few explosions came into the mix.

The amazing desert scenery gave the movie that 'isolation' feeling that helped with the creepy factors. On top of this, you still get some surprises, a knack for AVOIDING typical horror plot devices and a score that fits and you get one of my favorites.

Find The Hitcher and take a ride with it.