The Hitcher (2007)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Dave Meyers

Writers (WGA):

Eric Red (screenplay) and
Jake Wade Wall (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

19 January 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Never pick up strangers.

Plot:

While driving through the New Mexico Desert during a rainy night, the college students Jim Halsey and...

Plot Keywords:

Murder Of Family | Switchblade | Villain Played By Lead Actor | Trans Am | Oldsmobile

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Sean Bean	...	John Ryder
Sophia Bush	...	Grace Andrews
Zachary Knighton	...	Jim Halsey
Neal McDonough	...	Lt. Esteridge
Kyle Davis	...	Buford's Store Clerk
Skip O'Brien	...	Sheriff Harlan Bremmer Sr.
Travis Schuldt	...	Deputy Harlan Bremmer Jr.
Danny Bolero	...	Officer Edwards
Jeffrey Hutchinson	...	Young Father
Yara Martinez	...	Beth
Lauren Cohn	...	Marlene
Michael J. Fisher	...	Transport Guard #2 (as Mike Fisher)
Joseph Michael Self	...	Transport Guard #1
Brad Robinson	...	Correctional Officer
Kurt Grossi	...	Officer Franklin

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody violence, terror and language.

Runtime:

84 min | Croatia:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | USA:R (certificate #39360) | Australia:R | Germany:16 (cut) | Singapore:M18 | Singapore:NC-16 (edited version) | Portugal:M/18 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Malaysia:18PL | Hong Kong:IIB | UK:18 | UK:15 (re-rating, cut) | Norway:15 | Ireland:16 (re-rating on appeal) | Ireland:18 (original rating) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) | Brazil:16 | South Korea:18 | Germany:18 | Argentina:16 | Japan:R-15

Filming Locations:

Austin Studios - 1901 E. 51st Street, Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Focus Features

Trivia:

Sean Bean spent little time with his young co-stars so as to distance their relationship and make himself seem more unknown and menacing. He believed this would drive the chemistry in a more realistic fashion.

Goofs:

Continuity: Just after the scene where John Ryder kills all of the cops, Jim and Grace get out the car. As it is stopping you can clearly see that the tyre has worn away from where it was shot but then a different camera view shows the tyre still intact. It then disappears again.

Quotes:

[last lines]
[after Grace shoots John repeatedly in his bulletproof vest]
John Ryder: Feels good, doesn't it?
Grace Andrews: I don't feel anything.
[Grace shoots John in the head, and walks away]

Movie Connections:

Features The Birds (1963)

Soundtrack:

Fallin' in Love Again

A wild ride

So it's no masterpiece. I wasn't expecting one. As a good ol' blood-and-guts horror/thriller, it delivers. I will say is that it's not for the faint of heart, though. This is definitely a gruesome flick, even for today's standards. I was pretty close to the edge of my seat throughout 80 % of the film--so I'd say the film did its job. And watching Sophia Bush (from "John Tucker Must Die") run around in short skirts and tops made the film even more fun to watch. I do have a few mild criticisms. There are some clichéd scenes, like the main characters getting arrested and being taken to one of those precincts that only exist in movies. Only about three people are on staff, making it convenient for the killer to stroll inside, murder the officers in cold blood, and track his prey. Sean Bean plays the villain/title character. Sean's a significantly talented character actor, who most people probably recognize by face, rather than by name. This could've been a much more juicy role for him, but he's not given much to do. His performance consists of sneering and delivering sadistic one-liners in a monotone. I blame this more on his character being underwritten, rather than the actor himself. He has proved in movies like "Goldeneye" that he's capable of playing villains with much more depth. On the other hand, character actor Neal McDonough is given a pretty juicy role as the somewhat sympathetic sheriff. "The Hitcher" is not a film that will go down in history, but if you want to kill an hour and 30 minutes with a kick-a** popcorn flick, it's definitely worth watching.