This week's must-watch TV includes a fresh take on high school, a fierce second season, and some unlikely partners against crime.
Related lists from IMDb users
Title: The Hitcher (2007)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| 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) | |
 |
Joe Self | ... | Transport Guard #1 (as Joseph Michael Self) |
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Brad Robinson | ... | Correctional Officer |
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Kurt Grossi | ... | Officer Franklin |
While driving through the New Mexico Desert during a rainy night, the college students Jim Halsey and his girlfriend Grace Andrews give a ride to the hitchhiker John Ryder. While in their car, the stranger proves to be a psychopath threatening the young couple with a knife, but Jim succeeds to throw him out of the car on the road. On the next morning, the young couple sees John in another car with a family, and while trying to advise the driver that the man is dangerous, they have an accident. While walking on the road, they find the whole family stabbed in the car, and John sees that the driver is still alive. He drives to a restaurant seeking for help, but the police blame Jim and Grace to the murder and send them to the police station. However, John kills the policemen and pursues the couple, playing a tragic and violent mouse and cat game with Grace and Jim. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Maybe, my expectations of this film were set too high. Frankly, I pondered why anyone would want to re-make what many genre fans (and movie buffs in general) already consider to be a cult-classic. Didn't anyone learn a thing about what usually happens to those who try to reinvent a classic (i.e. the poorly attempted re-make of 'Psycho', anyone?).
For those of you whom have seen the original 1986 'Hitcher', it is best to leave your experience to that. The characters in this 2007 version barely conjure up a heartbeat, much-less able to hold the viewers attention for more than a few mere minutes at a time!
That is not to say that the lack of dramatic affect is due solely to sub-par actors. It's complacency and sterileness is mostly due to a lack of vision and direction, rather than for a lack of competency on any of the actors behalf. Also, severely lacking is the film's score, which was a haunting staple in the original version, but which is barely of notice in this version.
Did the 'Hitcher' require a reattempting? The answer is clear: No. The producer's of this film also produced the 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' reduxs and while those films were successful both artistically as well in terms of box office dollars, their attempt here is quite unsuccessful at attempting to recreate the nerve-pounding suspense that only the original appears to be able to offer.
Do not slow down. Drive past this one and don't even bother taking a second glance.