Log in / Sign up
 
    Share this page

    The Hitcher

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    "The Hitcher" is more than just a slasher or your typical horror flick, in fact it lends itself a lot more to the thriller genre and it's a tense, entertaining ride that's not perfect but entertaining. I bet you can guess what the plot is just from the title, but I’ll spell it out for you anyway. Jim (C. Thomas Howell) is a nice guy just minding his own business when he picks up a hitchhiker, a strange man called Ryder (Rutger Hauer) Turns out the guy is a maniac! Along the way, our hero meets up with a nice young lady named Nash (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and a whole lot of people end up dead.

    Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell and Jennifer Jason Leigh are all good in their parts; we sympathize with our heroes and we're both puzzled and frightened by our villain. I felt tense throughout and admire the fact that it never chickens out with the violence and body count. Admittedly that does mean that at a certain point it gets pretty ridiculous and exaggerated. I know when it came to my experience watching the film I thought it was ludicrous that a couple with two young children would decide to pick up a hitchhiker. As you can expect, that goes about as well as it usually does in a horror movie, so even this brighter-than-usual picture can’t escape some of the trappings of the genre. In a strange twist from what you see in your usual horror movies, sometimes the film feels like the characters are making intelligent decisions but every character isn't intelligently written. Maybe they just get lucky (well, not really considering the plot of the film, but you know what I mean)

    I have mixed feelings about the picture overall because there are a lot of good things about it. It’s supposed to be horrific and it did shock me. I felt disturbed after it ended and I have to give the movie props to “The Hitcher” because I believe that was the intended result. Nevertheless I have to dock it some points because of some missed opportunities I saw, like more of an exploration of the relationship between the reluctant hero and the killer. I thought maybe just a few lines, or one more scene was what this picture needed to really sell me on the ending. It's still worth your time, though some of it maybe too dark, too bleak or nihilistic for certain audiences. (On Dvd, October 28, 2012)

    8
    HelpfulNot helpful  Reply
    adamwatchesmovies@  8.4.2015 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

    Show all reviews for this movie
    Note: The movie review posted on this page reflects a personal opinion of one user. We are not responsible for its content.

    Did you see ''The Hitcher''?

    There is a problem with your e-mail address and we are unable to communicate with you. Please go to My Account to update your email.

    How do you rate this movie?

    Select stars from 1 to 10.
    10 - A masterpiece, go, see it now
    9 - Excellent movie, a must see
    8 - Great movie, don't miss it
    7 - Good movie, worth seeing
    6 - Not bad, could be much better
    5 - So so, okay if you don't pay
    4 - Not good, even if you don't pay
    3 - Poor movie, not recommended
    2 - Very bad, forget about it
    1 - Worst ever, avoid at all costs

    Please explain. Write your comment here:

    Please choose a username to sign your comments. Only letters, digits, dash - or period. Minimum 4 characters.

    Your age and sex:

    We publish all comments, except abusive, at our discretion.