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The Hitcher

  • 19861986
  • RR
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
50K
YOUR RATING
C. Thomas Howell in The Hitcher (1986)
A young man who escapes the clutches of a murderous hitchhiker is subsequently stalked by the hitcher and framed for his crimes.
Play trailer2:30
1 Video
99+ Photos
ActionMysteryThriller
A young man who escapes the clutches of a murderous hitchhiker is subsequently stalked by the hitcher and framed for his crimes.A young man who escapes the clutches of a murderous hitchhiker is subsequently stalked by the hitcher and framed for his crimes.A young man who escapes the clutches of a murderous hitchhiker is subsequently stalked by the hitcher and framed for his crimes.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
50K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Robert Harmon
  • Writer
    • Eric Red
  • Stars
    • Rutger Hauer
    • C. Thomas Howell
    • Jennifer Jason Leigh
  • Director
    • Robert Harmon
  • Writer
    • Eric Red
  • Stars
    • Rutger Hauer
    • C. Thomas Howell
    • Jennifer Jason Leigh
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 310User reviews
    • 118Critic reviews
    • 32Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:30
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos127

    Jennifer Jason Leigh in The Hitcher (1986)
    Jennifer Jason Leigh in The Hitcher (1986)
    Rutger Hauer in The Hitcher (1986)
    Rutger Hauer in The Hitcher (1986)
    Rutger Hauer in The Hitcher (1986)
    Rutger Hauer in The Hitcher (1986)
    Rutger Hauer in The Hitcher (1986)
    Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and C. Thomas Howell in The Hitcher (1986)
    The Hitcher (1986)
    Rutger Hauer in The Hitcher (1986)
    Rutger Hauer in The Hitcher (1986)
    Rutger Hauer in The Hitcher (1986)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Rutger Hauer
    Rutger Hauer
    • John Ryder
    C. Thomas Howell
    C. Thomas Howell
    • Jim Halsey
    Jennifer Jason Leigh
    Jennifer Jason Leigh
    • Nash
    Jeffrey DeMunn
    Jeffrey DeMunn
    • Captain Esteridge
    John M. Jackson
    John M. Jackson
    • Sergeant Starr
    • (as John Jackson)
    Billy Green Bush
    Billy Green Bush
    • Trooper Donner
    • (as Billy Greenbush)
    Jack Thibeau
    Jack Thibeau
    • Trooper Prestone
    Armin Shimerman
    Armin Shimerman
    • Interrogation Sergeant
    Gene Davis
    Gene Davis
    • Trooper Dodge
    • (as Eugene Davis)
    Jon Van Ness
    Jon Van Ness
    • Trooper Hapscomb
    Henry Darrow
    Henry Darrow
    • Trooper Hancock
    Tony Epper
    • Trooper Conners
    Tom Spratley
    Tom Spratley
    • Proprietor
    Colin Campbell
    • Construction Man
    Brittania
      Garth Shaw
      • Photographer
      • (uncredited)
      • Director
        • Robert Harmon
      • Writer
        • Eric Red
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

      Remembering Rutger Hauer (1944-2019)

      Remembering Rutger Hauer (1944-2019)

      We celebrate the life and legacy of Rutger Hauer, the award-winning actor best known for Blade Runner and The Hitcher.
      Watch the video
      Image caption not available
      1:08

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      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        In Rutger Hauer's book "All Those Moments", Hauer mentioned how executive producer Edward S. 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 of the role.
      • Goofs
        When Halsey is seen running through gasoline , he is wearing blue Nikes with white stripes. A later glimpse seems to show an all white pair.
      • Quotes

        John Ryder: Gas stations have cigarettes.

        Jim Halsey: What about gas?

        John Ryder: I don't need gas.

        Jim Halsey: What do you want?

        [John starts laughing]

        Jim Halsey: What's so funny?

        John Ryder: That's what the other guy said.

        Jim Halsey: What other guy?

        John Ryder: That guy back there, the one we just passed. The guy who picked me up before you did.

        Jim Halsey: That was him in there?

        John Ryder: Sure it was. He couldn't have walked very far.

        Jim Halsey: Why's that?

        John Ryder: Because I cut off his legs... and his arms... and his head... and I'm going to do the same to you.

      • Alternate versions
        A copy of "The Hitcher" currently playing on HBO Max as of July 12, 2022 is a very poor, dark, standard definition print.
      • Connections
        Edited into The Hitcher: 'How Do These Movies Get Made?' (2003)
      • Soundtracks
        DON'T STOP LOVIN' ME
        Performed by Mickey Jones

        Published by Mickey Jones Music (ASCAP)

      User reviews310

      Review
      Review
      Featured review
      8/10
      One of the best thrillers ever...
      A normal ordinary guy picks up a stranger in the middle of nowhere so that he could drive awake. Little does he know that he's going into a road trip from hell...

      Rutger Hauer give what I think is his best performance. Sure, there was that menacing Replicant in Blade Runner, but this one overshoots it by a long shot. He delivers a performance so good, that you'll find it difficult to question whether his character is believable or unbelievable.

      C. Thomas Howell, one one of the kids in Steven Spielberg's ET, plays the protagonist. Here, he faces every driver's worst nightmare imaginable, and he delivers it with realism. Howell also demonstrates how an ordinary teenager can change into a helpless being who is caught between a psychopathic game of cat-and-mouse set by a brutal man hell-bent on killing him.

      The nice New Mexico cinematography of which the film was filmed and set gives tranquility to the picture and makes the film looks good while delivering the thrills. Strongly supporting this topic is composer Mark Isham's gritty yet beautiful score. It;s just perfect for this kind of movie.

      The action sequences are handled very nicely here. We got a petrol station blowing up, an intense police car chase, and one of the greatest endings in cinematic history. Period.

      The Hitcher (1986) is one of the first films I have ever watched, and I still cherish it to this day. The 2007 remake, or rather, reDO, is a shallow and uninspiring music-videoish piece of crud that will only be liked by the MTV generation, but never the fans of the original. Why was it remade, we will never know.

      Overall, it is an excellent movie and one of the best thrillers ever made. Pick this one up, guys, it's worth it.

      8/10
      helpful•40
      11
      • dvc5159
      • Oct 13, 2007

      FAQ3

      • The woman that Jim Halsey met on the bus, why did she help him?
      • Why does Ryder place the coins on Halsey's eyes and under his tongue in the diner?
      • Would stringing Nash up between a semi-tractor & a trailer really tear her in half?

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • February 21, 1986 (United States)
      • Country of origin
        • United States
      • Languages
        • English
        • French
      • Also known as
        • Hitcher, der Highway Killer
      • Filming locations
        • Victorville, California, USA
      • Production companies
        • HBO Pictures
        • Silver Screen Partners
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Box office

      Edit
      • Budget
        • $6,000,000 (estimated)
      • Gross US & Canada
        • $5,844,868
      • Opening weekend US & Canada
        • $2,134,214
        • Feb 23, 1986
      • Gross worldwide
        • $5,844,868
      See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

      Technical specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        1 hour 37 minutes
      • Color
        • Color
      • Aspect ratio
        • 2.39 : 1

      Related news

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