The Hitcher
An cult horror/actioneer in which the happy go lucky teen
Jim Halsey gives the icy John Ryder a hitch but what begins as a boogeyman myth
of the murderous hitchhiker turns into a non-stop chase across the empty desert
highways of the mid-west. What is
surprising is the levels of carnage that occur in which Halsey becomes a
fugitive from the law, cops are taken out like ducks on a firing range and even
a police helicopter is not safe from the destructive game that Halsey and Ryder
are in entangled in. Much of the horror is Halsey’s treatment by the police,
who at times are more frightening than the elusive presence of Rutger Hauer’s quiet
drifter. There is an almost supernatural air to this tale of relentless murder
along an empty stretch of highway of diners and gas stations as Halsey is
pursued relentlessly by Ryder whose presence is constantly felt and frequently
is ahead of Halsey. An unstoppable spirit who can plant a severed finger in
your chips without ever being seen while what makes The Hitcher stand out as
classic is C. Thomas Howells’ masterful performance as Halsey; Howell’s
transformation from cowering kid to coldly, calculative adult who regularly
points guns at cops is the real brilliance at the heart of this film. While
Huger effortlessly hands in a defining portrait of motiveless menace it’s
Howell’s character arc that makes this beyond an entertaining thriller.
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