The Hitcher [DVD]

As horror films go, this one is not a complete gore fest, yet it is memorable simply because it is big on suspense, psychological drama and implied horror.

Sometimes what you can't see is more frightening than what you can, and this film uses that psychological device to maximum effect.

The 'Hitcher' of the title is a sinister and shady Rutger Hauer, who will stop viewers in their tracks with his completely psychotic, but utterly compelling characterisation. He is a calm, controlled psychopath, which is very much more disturbing that a typical horror film ghoul.

The story begins when a young man called Jim (C. Thomas Howell) decides to pick up a hitcher, (Rutger Hauer). Within minutes, Jim quickly discovers that the Hitcher is a raving lunatic who wants to chop him into little pieces. Luckily, he manages to throw the Hitcher out the car, but the Hitcher doesn't give up that easily and continues to plague and stalk Jim, drawing him into a series of desperate and dangerous situations, also framing him for various crimes.

The most disturbing concept in this film is the psychological impact that the Hitcher's behaviour is having upon Jim. Rutger Hauer really does play a star turn as the Hitcher, turning in an eerily convincing and unnerving performance. At times, he is so relentlessly nasty, persistent and downright manic that his performance is more than likely to provoke a nervous smile, as he mocks and ridicules Jim's increasing distress. His murderous antics, however, are never anything less than disturbing.

Along the way, Jim receives the help of a young waitress, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh, who believes in his innocence after the Hitcher frames him for various dastardly deeds. Leigh's character also meets a gruesome end.

The Hitcher's stalking of Jim eventually culminates in a showdown between the two, the outcome of which I won't reveal here.

The entire film plays out beautifully and subtly, and is superbly written and unsettling. The characterisation is superb right across the board, particularly in the case of Rutger Hauer, who is a charismatic and terrifying madman.

This is a fantastic film, not just for horror film enthusiasts, but for anyone who likes a good scare, or a suspenseful plot. It is fast-paced, dramatic, tense and intelligently written, yet reasonably subtle. It must be seen!

(See above synopsis)
When I first watched this film, I was terrified by it, and I remember my parents asking if I was feeling ok because I was white as a sheet. So I recently bought this on DVD to see if it held up to the test of time. It truly does. This is an exceptional thriller, incredibly tense and doesn’t reek of the 80’s at all. It could have been made now; such is the cinematography, music etc. All performances are excellent, Hauer playing the killer in a calm, deadpan way that is so eerie, and seeing Howell’s character develop and become stronger (and mildy insane) is fascinating. An absolute classic.
The extras: a new documentary on the making of the film, and 2 excellent short films, the first of which (and 35mins in length) is directed by Harmon and is similar to the Hitcher (and just as beautifully directed), and the other a 10 minute film co directed by Hauer. The ‘deleted scenes’ mentioned are in text format only.

I must admit i had never heard of this movie until a few months ago, and after hearing many Internet recommendations and that it was a cult film, i decided to buy it.

As you can see by my title i thoroughly enjoyed it and i feel that it would be a great addition to anyones DVD collection. There is certainly a mysticism about the film as The Hitcher is able to do some inplausable things but this all adds to the fun of the movie as we never really know if The Hitcher is another personality of Jim (which many suggest, but i dont go along with) or whether there is some other explanation to some of his feats. Anyway, the story goes as follows:

Jim Halsey, driving to San Diego in a drive away car he is supposed to deliver, nearly crashes due to him falling asleep. He sees a hitchhiker along the road and decides to stop thinking the hitcher could help him stay awake. When Jim opens the car door the first thing he says to the Hitcher is "My Mother told me never to do this" and he is about to find out why. The Hitcher himself seems a very strange person from the moment he gets in the car, and then we find out his real intentions, he is a murdering psychopath who has killed many people and admits that he is going to do the same to Jim. Getting extremely lucky, Jim manages to get the Hitcher out of his car and drive away. What follows is a torturing pursuit as the hitcher makes Jim's life a living hell and relentlesly pursuis him were ever he goes.

With excellent performances by all of the cast and some spectacular stunts along the way The Hitcher is great thrill ride for horror and road movie fans alike. Some of the action scenes are surprisingly spectacular and Hauer excells as the psychopathic Hitcher. I thoroughly recommend this movie to anyone as i cannot imagine any person disliking it to be honest.-