The Hitcher (1986)

October 26, 2022 8:47 AM

While transporting a car from Chicago to San Diego, Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) picks up a hitchhiker named John Ryder (Rutger Hauer), who claims to be a serial killer. After a daring escape, Jim hopes to never see Ryder again. But when he witnesses the hitchhiker murdering an entire family, Jim pursues Ryder with the help of truck-stop waitress Nash (Jennifer Jason Leigh), pitting the rivals against each other in a deadly series of car chases and brutal murders.

Directed by Robert Harmon. Written by Eric Red (Near Dark).

62% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Currently streaming in the US on HBO Max and Hulu. JustWatch listing.

posted by DirtyOldTown (6 comments total)

This gets more and more bonkers as it goes, but it never stops being a white knuckle ride thanks to Rutger Hauer's iconic performance. There's a reason this was checked out at every video store in America at least twice a week well into the early 2000's.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:49 AM on October 26, 2022 [6 favorites]

A friend of mine refers to this as "Jaws, but in the desert and the middle of the day" - there's no other way to explain how Ryder just... appears and always at the worst possible time.
posted by Molesome at 10:28 AM on October 26, 2022 [1 favorite]

there should be something that rescales rotten tomatoes scores for older movies because there’s no way contemporary reviewers (who are remarkably forgiving) wouldn’t have this one at 90%+. highly recommend for the spooky season
posted by dis_integration at 8:06 PM on October 26, 2022

Jennifer Jason Leigh just couldn't catch a break in 80s movies. And 90s and 2000s movies too.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 8:39 AM on October 27, 2022

I was super into this movie at the time, and I don't know why, because it wasn't my usual fare. Perhaps Rutger Hauer's sheer charisma?
posted by velvet_n_purrs at 2:43 PM on October 30, 2022

I just rewatched this via the gorgeous new 4K restoration from Second Sight and wow, did it look fantastic. I'm a fan of this movie but I still am surprised every time to see how much I've been selling it short.

The cinematography by John Seale (who also did Mad Max Fury Road and won an Oscar for The English Patient) is outstanding and the stunt work and practical fire/explosion FX are amazing in a way we just don't see anymore in the age of CGI.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:28 AM on October 5