Thumbs Up For ‘The Hitcher’.
Rutger Hauer has starred in a colossal amount of films. Most of them are good, several are brilliant whilst one or two are best forgotten about. But, for me, his greatest ever roles were in ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘The Hitcher’; his ‘handsome in an evil way’ looks were perfect for these two movies.
In 1986, the film industry was desperate for a half-decent thriller and when ‘The Hitcher’ turned up it was just what the doctor had ordered. It appealed to a large amount of people and quickly became the latest must-see movie. Of course, there had been similar stories revolving around a mysterious stranger, but ‘The Hitcher’s anti-hero somehow managed to crank up a far greater fear. This guy didn’t just go around killing; he had no cares about himself.
The part of John Ryder was tailor-made for Rutger Hauer. His cold, piercing eyes and mocking smile sent a genuine shiver down your spine. Sometimes we are encouraged to feel a little sorry for the bad guy, but it was impossible to feel even a glimmer of pity for this character; John Ryder was evil incarnate.
There are some brilliant camera shots in ‘The Hitcher’. Considering that most of the film takes place on the open road, it must be incredibly difficult to make things look interesting. But, rather than trying to hide the bleakness of the landscape, it is used to convey the loneliness and helplessness of the characters; Steven Spielberg achieved the same effect in ‘Duel’.
If you enjoy scary movies then you will love ‘The Hitcher’. It has solid acting from everyone involved and a cleverly woven story with plenty of edge-of-your-seat moments.
The only warning I would give is to take care in choosing the correct ‘Hitcher’. It was remade in 2007 and the story was turned into a rather mediocre affair. As per usual, the original film is by far the best.
I was a complete insomniac last night and decided to go skulking round the web for something to keep me occupied, turns out the House Forum is not only a superior way to waste time but also fairly entertaining!