The Hitcher (1986)

Director:

Robert Harmon

Writer:

Eric Red (written by)

Release Date:

21 February 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The terror starts the moment he stops.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Police | Serial Killer | Framed | Road

Awards:

3 wins

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

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Australia:MA (re-rating) | Ireland:18 | Australia:R | Canada:R | France:-12 | Italy:VM14 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Finland:K-18 (1986) (uncut version) | Finland:K-16 (1993) (cut version) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Amboy, California, USA

Company:

HBO Pictures

Trivia:

While performing the last bit of the windshield stunt Rutger Hauer hit out one of his teeth with the shotgun he held in his hands.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: While being arrested outside the diner, C. Thomas Howell accidentally kicks one of the deputies in the back of the head while being slammed on the hood of the police car.

Quotes:

John Ryder: You wanna know what happens to an eyeball when it gets punctured? Do you got any idea how much blood jets out of a guy's neck when his throat's been slit?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Six Feet Under: That's My Dog (#4.5)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

DON'T STOP LOVIN' ME

"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.