Review of The Hitcher (1986) by Lauri M — 27 Oct 2008

When I saw this on its release back in '84, I was shocked at what I thought was a nasty and misanthropic turn in the thriller genre but after watching half an hour of the Sean bean remake, I decided to give the original another scan.

And what a surprise it was to find that the Hitcher is, in fact, a taut and concisely-edited package of thrills and eerie moments interspersed with gory muders and flashy stunts. I love the way that director Harmon has created a kind of quasi-existential plot within an action movie to create a thriller that contains elements of horror, a satisfying hybrid that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The gore is restrained, mostly kept to a glance of bloody aftermath, but the tension is ramped up, despite endless empty highways and a small cast. This is one movie I'm sorry I mis-judged. It truly is a great piece of cinema, despite its B-movie status.

Added point go to Rutger Hauer's brilliantly creepy serial killer, whose lack of identity and motive is totally at odds with contemporary killers whose whole criminal history is trotted out to explain his need to kill.