The Hitcher (1986)

A young man who escaped the clutches of a murderous hitch-hiker is subsequently stalked, framed for the hitcher's crimes, and has his life made into hell by the same man he escaped.

Director:

Robert Harmon

Writer:

Eric Red

Stars:

Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh

3 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Rutger Hauer	...	John Ryder
C. Thomas Howell	...	Jim Halsey
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Nash
Jeffrey DeMunn	...	Captain Esteridge
John M. Jackson	...	Sergeant Starr (as John Jackson)
Billy Green Bush	...	Trooper Donner (as Billy Greenbush)
Jack Thibeau	...	Trooper Prestone
Armin Shimerman	...	Interrogation Sergeant
Gene Davis	...	Trooper Dodge (as Eugene Davis)
Jon Van Ness	...	Trooper Hapscomb
Henry Darrow	...	Trooper Hancock
Tony Epper	...	Trooper Conners
Tom Spratley	...	Proprietor
Colin Campbell	...	Construction Man

Storyline

A young man transporting a car to another state is stalked along the road by a cunning and relentless serial killer who eventually frames the driver for a string of murders. Chased by police and shadowed by the killer, the driver's only help comes from a truck stop waitress.

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Plot Keywords:

police | murder | hitchhiker | truck | truck stop | 

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Taglines:

Out on the desert highway, the rule of thumb has a different meaning...

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Genres:

Action | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 February 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Liftaren

Filming Locations:

Amboy, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$5,844,868 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Pictures, Silver Screen Partners

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo (Dolby Stereo) Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Rutger Hauer's book "All Those Moments," Hauer discusses how producer Ed Feldman settled on Sam Elliott for the role of John Ryder. Hauer states that "Apparently, Elliott was so scary when he came in to audition that Edward S. Feldman was afraid to go out to his car afterward." Sam Elliott had a scheduling conflict and had to back out the role.

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Goofs

When the two police cars are trying to shoot out the tires in the pursuit, they both flip, and the devices under the cars making them flip are visible.

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Quotes

[Donner photographs Jim Halsey]
Trooper Donner: Well, these are real good. Your mama's gonna like those.

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Connections

Referenced in Zingo (1998)

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Soundtracks

"DON'T STOP LOVIN' ME"
Performed by Mickey Jones
Published by Mickey Jones Music (ASCAP)

User Reviews

"Do I look like a killer to you?"

The Hitcher is a marvelous thriller and Rutger Hauer is truly scary as hell. He is undoubtedly one of the best villains in cinematic history. The game that Hauer and C. Thomas Howell play out makes for a great way to spend an hour and a half of your life. You can't help but feel sorry for Howell as he can never escape the madman. Hauer has zero motive and that makes him all the more evil. And how he always finds Howell is something that is unnerving and unexplainable. It's like their paths were meant to cross somewhere out in in the desert. Eric Red's script leaves nothing to be desired. The scene where Howell is eating french fries is one of the most unforgettable in horror history. And so is the event that leads to the capture of Hauer. The end is fantastic and it's something that you want to do through the entire movie. It will definitely make you think twice before picking up hitchhikers. If you enjoyed The Hitcher, Check out Hitch-Hike (with David Hess) and Duel.