The Pass

HIGHWAY HITCHER is a late-stage addition to the psycho-thriller genre of the early 1990s, and much better than I was expecting it to be. The main things it has going for it are a fast pace and a surprising number of familiar faces in the cast, the kind of old reliables who make B-movie fare easier to sit through. William Forsythe, the noted screen villain in everything from OUT FOR JUSTICE to BOARDWALK EMPIRE, is a surprising choice for the tough hero, not necessarily the right one, but he does a good job, although the villain seems a little weedy in comparison. Elizabeth Pena is excellent as a femme fatale and there are smaller turns from Jamie Kennedy and Michael McKean. It's hardly a masterpiece, but it's one of those serviceable films that does the job well enough.

'The Pass' aka 'Highway Hitcher' is a fun little thriller if you like William Forsythe, simple low-budget stories and don't expect more than the necessary basics. There's adequate tension, a few twists & laughs. It also happens to have one of the worst trailers out there that ruins the movie and all it's moments if you can believe that.

Charles Duprey (Forsythe) enjoys gambling and follows thru on a trip to Reno even after wife Shirley (Nancy Allen) leaves him. Along the way he picks up a stranded Hunter (James LeGros), but when his weird side starts to show Duprey ditches him. Unfortunately the road ahead gets closed due to bad weather and Duprey spends the night at a roadside motel allowing the deranged man to catch up to him.

One reviewer calls Forsythe's character a loser, but I disagree. He's a mild man with his life together but in a rut. He starts to find himself again, but has to go on this ride surrounded by death to get there. The supporting cast is really small, but a young Jamie Kennedy appears as a state trooper and Elizabeth Pena provides female sexuality. While Nancy Allen & Michael McKean (as Duprey's friend and co-worker) are basically glorified cameos.

I originally saw 'The Pass' on late night tv - home to low quality flicks - and in many ways this title fits right in. I don't blame anyone if they say it doesn't have a lot going on, but I enjoyed it's simplicity and Forsythe. Seeing it again many years later didn't change that fact.

The first half of this film held some promise as it seemed like the film was going to be a low-key character psychodrama like THE MINUS MAN but then the whole thing collapses into cliche and the viewer slowly loses all interest. There's a decent cast here but the film is lifeless and the talent completely wasted.

This movie is terrible, it was just really dull and i don't blame the actors for being so bad in it 'cause the script was awful, so much talent wasted - james le gros,william forsyth, jamie kennedy - the film was gut wrenchingly rubbish. I'm glad jamie kennedy was hardly in it because it enraged me to see such a talented young actor in this dross.

What is it that this movie is rated? A 4.2 or something like that? No way! It should be rated about a 6.5 or so. I gave it a 7.0 This movie is well done with professional actors and good production values.

It is not clichéd and has several surprises.

Good music, good suspenseful atmosphere. How could it be rated a 4.2? That tells me it is not worth watching. But this movie is definitely worth watching.

I ain't it saying it is the second coming of the Godfather or anything like that.

But a solid movie worth watching.