The Hitcher

Rating:
Summary: Never Pick up a Stranger
Review: C. Thomas Howell and Rutger Hauer star in this thriller about a person who makes the age-old mistake of picking up a hitchhiker. Howell stars as Jim Halsy, a young man who is driving a car cross country for a friend. Hauer stars as John Ryder, a hitchhiker who is picked up by Halsey. Little does Halsey know that his life will change forever after picking up Ryder. Halsey immediately senses that there is something different about Ryder. Sure enough, Ryder pulls a knife on Halsey and threatens to kill him. After enduring several long minutes pleading for his life, Halsey manages to push Ryder out of the car door. Believing that his nightmare is over, Halsy settles back in for his drive. However, the terror is just beginning as a family in a stationwagon passes Halsey. He is horrified to see that the family has picked Ryder up. Halsey does his best to warn them, but he's too late.

More and more macabre events occur throughout the film, such as Ryder blowing up a gas station and tying a person between two semi trucks. Jennifer Jason Leigh does a good job as Nash, a waitress who befriends Halsey.

This is a good psychological thriller. The plot is good, and I thought Howell and Hauer gave good performances throughout. Remember what your mother told you; Never pick up a hitchhiker!

Rating:
Summary: Essential Horror Movie
Review: One of the greatest and most misunderstood horror movies ever, The Hitcher represents a high point in the careers of the majority of the cast and crew--Robert Harmon never directed this well again, Eric Red never wrote a better screenplay, the score by Mark Isham is superb. Most people seem to think that the killer, played by Rutger Hauer, has no motive, even the people who LIKE the movie. Those who don't like the movie frequently harp on it's lack of realism. To really appreciate The Hitcher, you have to realize that it's a coming of age FABLE disguised as a psycho killer movie. You heard me right--a COMING OF AGE FABLE. When Rutger Hauer gets shoved out of the car at the beginning of the story, he recognizes potential in C. Thomas Howell (note the loving and amused glint in Rutger's eye) and becomes his self-appointed mentor, spending the rest of the movie educating him, passing the psycho torch as it were. This idea is consistently and brilliantly developed, climaxing (pun fully intended) in Rutger Hauer's sacrifice at the end of the movie, followed by C. Thomas Howell's obligatory "post-coital" cigarette. Frankly, it amazes me that so many so-called critics, who are paid good money to deliver a cogent and intelligent analysis, could have so completely missed the point of this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Dull movie
Review: This movie was not at all as I had expected. It was supposed to be scary but I found that I was not at all scared. I mean I was grossed out at the fact that the madman was putting everyone in heck with slaughtering them, but that's about it.
Nothing in the movie was scary, really. The only reason I gave this movie a 2 was because it could pass as another genre, but it was supposed to horror. It could have been an action movie but they made it sound like a horror movie.
The special effects were good but the acting slowed it down...
... You might enjoy it a bit, but it is slow and not worth the wait.
Thanks.

Rating:
Summary: Great Fun!
Review: This was a great movie. It had a great story and a great cast. I thought C. Thomas Howell was great! If your looking for a good thriller, you should definetly pick up "The Hitcher". It has a great lesson. I rented this movie, but I think it's totally worth the money to buy the DVD. If you like thrillers, you can't miss "The Hitcher".

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie!
Review: I rented this movie and I was very pleased with it. I thought C. Thomas Howell was great. I think this movie had a great story as well as a great lesson. I definetly recommend this movie if you want a good thiller. I may very well want to buy the DVD edition.

Rating:
Summary: To Anyone Who Rates This Movie With More Than 2 Stars: Huh?
Review: I want to know what movie they were watching, beacuse this is not that great a film. Some suspense, a lot of bad acting, and way too many scenes when you say out loud "OH, come on", like falling out of a moving car at 60 MPH and then getting up without a scratch. This movie, it's just OKAY. RENT IT!

Rating:
Summary: Logic takes a back seat ...
Review: I bought this on a whim, having heard good things about it.

It starts off well with Rutger Hauer suitably understated and menacing. However, by the first half hour the movie gets lost in la-la land with "The Hitcher" apparently having the killing and survival power of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator.

On top of the body count he racks up while hitching on the freeway, he also manages to take out a bunch of cops at a backwater police station (all killed apparently in total silence while our hero is taking a nap in one of the cells).

At this point, it took all of my energy not to switch the movie off in disgust. It's too ridiculous to be thrilling. This sort of thing has been done so much better in numerous other films. Steven Spielberg's Duel being one example. Even Breakdown with Kurt Russell was more convincing than this.

Despite the occasional effective moment, my advice would be to give this one a big miss ...

Rating:
Summary: Eh
Review: Well, this movie, in my opinion, was OK. C. Thomas Howell does an excellent acting job in this movie; he made it all very believable. I have to say, also, that Rutger Hauer makes a very good freak. And Jennifer Jason Leigh does a good job of acting scared. But, the movie itself, aside from the acting, is all right. The plot itself is kind of mundane, and though Rutger Hauer is very scary, the movie itself wasn't scary. It's all right.

Rating:
Summary: THE BIGGEST REASON TO NOT PICK UP HITCH HIKERS!
Review: KOOKIE AS IT MAY SEEM THIS IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE MOVIES. HOW CAN I WATCH SUCH STUFF OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I AM NOT EVEN CERTAIN I CAN EXPLAIN IT. SOMETIMES I SEE MYSELF AS THE HUNTER IN THE MOVIE, OTHER TIMES I SEE MYSELF AS THE HUNTED, STRANGE EH? WELL ANYWAY IF YOU EVER TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO SOMEONE WHY NOT PICK UP HITCHIKERS AND FOR WHATEVER REASON THEY JUST DON'T GET IT HAVE THEM WATCH THIS MOVIE. IF AFTER WATCHING THIS MOVIE THEY STILL WANT TO PICK UP HITCHIKERS MAYBE THEY NEED PROFFESSIONAL HELP. THE SAME HOLDS TRUE FOR BEING WARRY OF STRANGERS. WELL IF YOU NEVER SAW THIS MOVIE IT IS WORTH THE TIME AND MONEY.

Rating:
Summary: HEART-STOPPING!!!! INTENSE!!!!!!
Review: YOU WILL NEVER PICK UP A HITCH-HIKER AGAIN!
This movie will stick with you forever. VERY terrifying!
One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE suspense flicks! Lotsa Blood...but it fits with the story...it's not Gore for the sake of being Gore.

MUST SEE BEFORE YOUR NEXT ROAD TRIP 'CROSS COUNTRY!!!!