Released in 1986, The Hitcher was the brainchild of writer Eric Red (Near Dark, Blue Steel) that was directed by Robert Harmon. Between the paltry box-office takings and criticisms regarding the film’s “sadistic” violence (including zero star reviews from Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel), it was an unappreciated work that has since been rightfully reappraised as a cult classic – and to quote Al Pacino in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood; “What a picture!”
The story follows Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) as he delivers a car from Chicago to San Diego, but the journey across the West Texas highways is a taxing one. Struggling to stay awake one night, he decides to pick up a hitchhiking man named John Ryder (Rutger Hauer), despite claiming that his mother told him to never pick up a hitcher. Soon understanding why he was warned about that, Jim finds the situation worsening when John makes murderous threats involving a switchblade. Despite managing to get the upper hand and throw John out of the vehicle, the nightmare is not over yet. Jim soon finds that he is being stalked by the serial killer, framed for his crimes and hunted by an increasingly aggressive police force.
In the midst of this feature is a jaw-dropping car stunt, capturing the spirit of Hong Kong cinema as one is left wondering how anybody survived such a dangerous looking sequence.
Throughout the ensuing feature, tension is phenomenally utilized in unforgettable ways. Whether it is simply looking into a family’s car, or a key set-piece involving a truck that could roll, suggestion and imagination are powerfully used to make one’s blood run cold by hinting at the depths of Ryder’s savagery. This is also true of an exploration of a police station, where the slow creeping dread leaves the resulting scenes burned into the mind.
Central to this is C. Thomas Howell, terrifically capturing the lead’s rising desperation as he finds any lifeline cruelly snuffed out. With his hopes repeatedly destroyed in vicious ways, Howell tremendously captures how this increasingly awful situation is wearing Jim down, in a performance that deserves to be remembered more than his other 1986 release, the blackface utilizing Soul Man.
In pursuit is the titular hitcher, arriving like a spectre of death that leaves only decimation in his wake, to ensure Jim feels progressively powerless. Key to this terrifying figure is Rutger Hauer’s ice-cold performance, conveying a steely determination and singular focus that feels like an underseen iteration of The Terminator. All throughout, the question remains regarding why he is doing this. Is Ryder fighting against a same-sex attraction during a less-welcoming time for the queer community? Is he taking vicious revenge against “the one that got away?” It is up to interpretation, but remains compelling regardless of your feelings.
In the midst of this feature is a jaw-dropping car stunt, capturing the spirit of Hong Kong cinema as one is left wondering how anybody survived such a dangerous looking sequence. A scene like this especially looks amazing in this remaster, wonderfully rejuvenated by Second Sight Films. Here’s hoping this boutique release allows for more people to discover this underrated work, as The Hitcher is an astounding piece of ‘80s cinema.
The Hitcher is out now on Second Sight 4K Blu-Ray
James’s Archive – The Hitcher (1986)
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