Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25242 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-09-22
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 93 minutes

Synopsis
Jim Halsey offers a lift to a gaunt figure at the roadside. But this kindly gesture is to change his life because when he lets the hitcher into his car, death, bloody mayhem and destruction come along for the ride...

Customer Reviews

Best version
Still a great movie, Rutger Hauer is great in this film. The remake isn't worth bothering with.

Never pick up a stranger.....
While I don't think that The Hitcher is a horror film it still is one of the greatest thrillers I have ever seen. Rutger Hauer was just perfect as the ultimate villain that starts terrorizing the male lead played by Thomas Howell, the film was beautifully shot in Nevada's long desert road which creates a good atmosphere and could only be shot in the 80's. This film will make you never pick up a hitchhiker ever again, the film is a tale of torment and frustration as Jim (Thomas Howell) is driving a rented car across the country to California while en rout to the dessert he decides to pick up a hitcher in a rainstorm only to find out that this hitcher is a psychopath. Jim soon eludes the killer but soon finds out that this guy is after him and is trying to play some sick mind games like setting him up for murder. This film has some pretty good action scenes and setups that makes things interesting as well as The Hitcher himself who keeps appearing and disappearing as if he was a supernatural being or something only to make the situation alot worse for Jim, it's like a waking nightmare that the main character cannot escape from unless he finally confronts him. Jennifer Jason Liegh also stars in this film as a waitress who happens to trust Jim and helps him out, it has a basic storyline but it's not predictable and has some great and awesome scenes like the burning gas station or the police helicopter that's chasing Jim around the desert and not to mention the acting from the cast which was very good, I highly recommend this 80's cult classic. Oh and by the way avoid the remake as it was a complete waste of time, unless you like that over the top messy and badly edited Michael Bay nonsense.

Deadly game of cat and mouse
This is the original film and I agree with the other two reviewers that it is the best version to watch, however, having seen the re-make, I wouldn't write it off completely. It's not a bad film, but If you are choosing between the two, definitely watch this version!

The film is basically about a guy who is driving through those long deserted highways in America and he picks up a hitcher who claims his name is John Ryder (played by Rutger Hauer, who is the archetypal villain). During the course of their conversation, he informs the driver that he has cut off the arms, legs and head of the previous guy who picked him up, and he intends to do the same to him.

The rest of the film is just a relentless pursuit of the driver by the hitcher, who has ample opportunity to kill him, but allows him to escape time and time again, as he just seems to enjoy the chase. The driver has nowhere to turn as the police believe he is responsible for many of the killings in the film. This is sometimes classed as a horror film but the directors on the special features of the dvd, state that it is a more of a thriller, and it is just that-a thrilling film.

It has a similar feel to 'No country for old men' in terms of the pursuit aspect and the locations in America. There are some really good action scenes in the film, as mentioned by a previous reviewer, and if you have a dark sense of humour, a couple of scenes are pretty funny too!