The Hitcher (Widescreen Edition)
A road trip takes a deadly turn in this terrifying thriller about a young couple (Sophia Bush and Zachary Knighton) tormented by a psychotic hitchhiker (Sean Bean) who forces them to face their fears head-on. The open road becomes a battleground of blood and metal in the race to reveal the chilling truth about this relentless killer. No one knows who he is, what he's after, or how to stop this "truly twisted villain"*. Watch the madness unfold with intense edge-of-your-seat chase sequences drive this sinister film to a deadly ending you won't soon forget!
20 years is a long time in the lifeline of movie plot-arc necessities. It's also a pretty big generational stretch in the lives of audience demographics, which may be part of the reason the producers of this remake of the 1986 cult horror classic felt the need to update the original spare mano-a-mano backbone into a girl-and-mano-a-mano. The Twilight Zone-ish setup is still a pretty neat idea: regular guy on a lonely highway picks up a hitchhiker who turns out to be a psychopathic killer with some very unsettling supernatural might. Fans of the original could hardly hope for a demon villain with such creepy charisma as Rutger Hauer. But Sean Bean makes a respectable replacement, with his understated stare and stewing rage that brings a new brand of hair-raising devilry to the role of hitcher John Ryder. The lone "good guy" originated by a boyish C. Thomas Howell has been upgraded to a lovesick couple. In a twisty touch, Jim (Zachary Knighton, sorta unknown) and Grace (Sophia Bush, of One Tree Hill fame) trade gender roles, with Jim turning wimpy and feminine and Grace becoming a shotgun-toting testoster-ette. The body count's a little higher and the gore factor increased by the power of 20 (years), but some of the original film's set pieces remain much the same-- body-snapping case in point being an 18-wheeler being put to use as a old-fashioned torture rack. While the original might have placed a bit more emphasis on the philosophical and existential elements of evil passing from soul to soul, it wasn't exactly an intellectual thrill ride. Likewise, 2007's The Hitcher is no art film, and it can't be faulted for choosing fright and might for audiences that are always looking for bigger and more elaborate splats for their horror entertainment buck. And if you stick out your thumb for this one, expect plenty of splat. --Ted Fry
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The Hitcher (Widescreen Edition) Reviews
Beautiful open desert shots have even the actors noticeably squinting. Screenwriter Eric Red was smart to turn this version's focus on Grace-as opposed to the original's hold on C. Outtakes would have been a real treat, but instead we get four different versions of how one hotel room scene could have gone down. I'm a bit tired of remakes and sequels, and it's a double edged sword to know The Hitcher is in Matthew Cohan's line of horror revisits. Who didn't love to hate Sean Bean when the English actor first came onto the US radar in 1992's Patriot Games. Sure maybe it adds to atmosphere or mood, but we want to watch the action in the creepy desert jailhouse.
Nothing against TV guester Zachary Knighton, but his performance was a dime a dozen. For fans who want to know the ins and outs of all the car stunts-here it is. Bean's performance is akin to Duel's crazy and dubious tractor trailer more so than Hauer. Kudos also to whoever decided to give Sheffield born and bred Sean an American accent. Unfortunately, after encountering seemingly pedestrian hitchhiker John Ryder (Bean), their lives quickly turn to carnage, terror, and high speed pursuit. What does he want.- is more interesting than seeing if Grace and Jim make it.
The highlight of the features for me was Sophia Bush confessing she was really afraid of Sean Bean. Young starlets are so interchangeable in Hollywood today, and the B horror flick is often where new names perfect their death scene antics. Perhaps what is the creepiest thing about The Hitcher is that this kind of road rage can happen and does happen. This film is a must see for Sean Bean fans or Sophia Bush lovers. On one hand, the story is very familiar, but then again, Cohan and his team have seemed to perfect the art of maintaining the best of the original and infusing it with modern filmmaking. Unfortunately, The Hitcher failed to further shiver mid January movie going audiences. Indeed perhaps it is even too short for its own horror/car chase genre.
The Hitcher is also partially undone with its over simple dialogue. Although The Hitcher came and went in theaters, I expected the DVD release to have more features than it does. Where does he come from. Even cult favorite Neal McDonough (Star Trek: First Contact) was a pleasant surprise, but I won't kid you-I bought The Hitcher for the 48 year old Bean. Hauer's most iconic moment in The Hitcher, however, now belongs to Sean Bean.
If even that isn't true about Ryder, what else is there lying there, waiting. The One Tree Hill star does hold her own here in the otherwise all male cast. Indeed deleted scenes are usually deleted for a reason, and the way that hotel room scene is finalized in the film is the superior outcome. The `late model black thunderbird' car chase and shoot `em up has even my honey rooting for villainous Bean.
Yes he's older now, and well, he does have a big nose, but Bean's command of these college kids is evident from the moment they almost hit him on the road. New Mexico State Police Lieutenant Eldridge (McDonough) pursues Grace and Jim-who look more and more like the killers with every turn. I didn't find it attractive then, and I certainly don't believe this Jim will be the star of Spring Break any time soon. Once considered by fans as the most beloved Hauer film, The Hitcher now belongs to Sean Bean. The Hitcher's story begins when college cuties Grace Andrews (Bush) and Jim Halsey (Knighton) take off across the American Southwest for Spring Break-in a classic 442 no less. Knowing his true and definitely British accent is being hidden here adds to Ryder's creepiness. Near the end of the film, I found myself missing ensemble horror road trip films- where one by one the nobodys and bimbos are picked off.
You can't have a rugged, mean Bean and a short skirted Bush without some rough potential. Thomas Howell's Halsey. Of course she looks the pretty for the part, but Bush carries an untraditional edge and non-blonde bimbo look that fits the ballsy chick here. The visuals and creative deaths in this Hitcher could not have been done in the eighties. Although I expected the film to be billed as `And Sean Bean as The Hitcher', he is rightfully given top billing, followed by Sophia Bush. I have to admit, I first though Sophia Bush to be one of President Bush's daughters. I was, however, disappointed with the deleted scenes and alternate ending.
The complexity of Ryder-who is he. There's an up close segment on Knighton and his definitive bloodfest scene, plus a detailed behind the scenes look with the complete cast and crew. Are there scarier and more gory horror films out there. It might have been interesting to see Grace and Jim with a buddy couple who meets their end courtesy of John Ryder-or perhaps that scenario could have put the film beyond believability. Another place The Hitcher misses more than hits is its somewhat low body count.
It's a horror flick-we know someone isn't going to survive-but in some part of the back of your mind, you want that tawdry ending where Ryder walks off into the sunset to nab another wayward couple. Meyer does give the audience a fine balance of hints and foreplay and lots of f-bombed dialogue. Of course, but you can't find solid acting and character complexity in Jason X. If you don't like spooks, cars, and gore, then The Hitcher is not for you. Whether it's poor skill or by design, here Jim is a limp fish next to Bean's Ryder. Sometimes The Hitcher is almost too dark to see anything. It's 2007, yet Knighton's look harkens back to the nineties grunge and skater style.
While not exactly a sex symbol in the US in his day, Bean's psycho turn here is nonetheless the most attractive thing in The Hitcher. He's twice her age-old enough to be her father-yet Bean and Bush (hee) have some interesting chemistry onscreen. Do however, look for the recent DVD release in your video store's sale bin. While I haven't seen the Rutger Hauer version of The Hitcher in some time, the 2007 version reminds me more of Stephen Spielberg's early road rage classic Duel. Directed by famed music video helmsman Dave Meyers, The Hitcher boasts production support from mega action chairman Michael Bay (Armageddon, The Rock) and Matthew Cohan-who also fronted the edgy and popular remakes of The Amityville Horror and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (as well as the sci-fi flick The Island-also starring Bean). Even the bullseye gem `I'll be back in 15 minutes' makes a cameo. The alternate ending was a little over the top for theaters-as the cover promised-but not nearly as extreme as it could have been.
For myself, Blade Runner is the creepy Hauer flick and Ladyhawke is my favorite of his films. Why is he doing this.'. Lighting, however, seems to suffer for Meyer's fast paced music video style. Equally jarring is Meyer's cuts to outside action. Perhaps the question is not to purchase this DVD, but rather what would you do if one of the S.B.s was thumbing for a ride on your street.
Always popular overseas as Napoleonic hero Richard Sharpe in the British television series of the same name, Sean Bean's most recent high profile American picture was this winter's The Hitcher, a remake of the 1986 Rutger Hauer yarn about a psychotic hitchhiker who trails innocents and frames them for his crimes. Despite being a horror enthusiast, I wouldn't have picked up The Hitcher for rising stars Sophia Bush or Zachary Knighton.
Now back to Sean Bean. Following with another villainous turn in the initial Pierce Brosnan Bond flick Goldeneye (1995), it is no wonder American audiences didn't begin to appreciate the versatile actor until Bean's understated performance as the ill-fated Boromir in The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Maybe as a woman it's the fear of rape, or perhaps its my one to many viewings of Bean in the steamy Lady Chatterley, but I was routing for physical action between these two for the duration. Some of it is really great-Eldridge's hick cop banter and Ryder's ambiguous one liners bring humor and food for thought, but our couple utters too many cries along the lines of `What does he want.
More serious and hard core action, high speed thrillers. Incredibly short at under 1 hour 25 minutes, The Hitcher might have been over priced for theaters.
Ryder initially attacks the couple, but they manage to escape him- only to find he has killed others and is framing them for his rampage.
I'm all for updating a movie, if you're going to make it better. And it's wasn't the actors, either. And you would be pretty much wrong.all around. If you haven't ever seen the original movie, then this movie might be okay for you. Might even get a little suspense out of it.might even enjoy it.
I'd find fault in the studio, executive producer, and the producers. I just wasn't feeling that on this one. Those of us that have seen the original, and thought it was brilliant, are going to be sorely disappointed in this factory version.yet another example of the Hollywood machine's constant need to remake a great movie. If you have already seen the original movie from 1986, not the remake which is this movie, you'll probably be watching this flick with a preconceived notion of how the movie is gonna go.
One thing I absolutely loved was the incredible scenery.sooooo many beautiful locations were filmed, with the rocks, the sky, the mountains, the plains.all of it just beautiful like a tourism brochure. But the gore doesn't seem to have a purpose, and in fact when Sean's character is asked why he kills, he answers "Why not." 'Why not' is the theme of the movie: why not have some more blood. There isn't really a plot or a mystery, just lots of killing. why not have some extra gore. why not have a shorter skirt. The scenery and the photography are why I gave this movie 2 stars.the content sure isn't anything worthy of a star. I haven't seen the original version of this film, so I can't make comparisons.
Sean Bean does a good job at every evil character I've seen him in, including this one. Lots and lots and lots of gore and blood, but not very scary. I didn't find this movie very suspenseful, I never was able to place myself in the danger, I never felt creeped out.in fact it was almost comical at times, like a spoof. And most of it isn't even creative, just guns and knives.
REALLY, one hell of a horror film so yea i advise you to watch this if you wanna be freaked for a while.especially the ending so WATCH IT. 0Hh and it`ll also make your PENIS stand if your a boy cuz of sophia bush. I HAD aN ORGIE.
Well, this is a true statement; however, it refers to 42,000 deaths due to TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS annually. One comment: Before the film starts, a statement appears on the screen saying that according to the US DOT, an estimated 42,000 people are killed on the highways. This remake of the original Hitcher starts fairly nicely but it becomes rather unrealistic and mindless as it progresses; nevertheless, it's still watchable.
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