← Back to films
The Hitcher

The Hitcher

★ 7,0 /10 (1,117 Votes)
1986 EN 98 min

Overview

On a stormy night, young Jim, who transports a luxury car from Chicago to California to deliver it to its owner, feeling tired and sleepy, picks up a mysterious hitchhiker, who has appeared out of nowhere, thinking that a good conversation will help him not to fall asleep. He will have enough time to deeply regret such an unmeditated decision.

Stream

Rent

Buy

Powered by JustWatch via TMDB

Release date

17/01/1986

Votes

1,117

Popularity

8.6

The terror starts the moment he stops.

Status

Released

Language

EN

Runtime

98 min

Budget

$6,000,000

Revenue

$5,844,868

Original Soundtrack

Loading soundtrack videos…

JPV852

JPV852

2024-12-06

⭐ 7

Solid enough suspense-thriller with great action and menacing performance from Rutger Hauer, a few moments in the story felt a bit clunky, mainly how Jennifer Jason Leigh's character gets involved, which I will say the 2007 remake at least improved upon. Just a highly entertaining flick. **3.5/5**

Read full review →
Wuchak

Wuchak

2025-12-19

⭐ 4

**_Thrilling desert road flick ruined by an implausible villain_** This is an action-packed thriller with the milieu of the remote Southwest à la Eastwood’s “The Gauntlet” mixed with psychological horror, even slasher. So, it’s reminiscent in ways of “Duel,” “The Getaway” and "Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry," but the enigmatic antagonist’s twistedness and powers add a goofy slasher vibe. The writer defended this on the grounds of making John Ryder (Rutger Hauer) a "mythical character,” arguing that he intended the movie to be an allegory about the protagonist's journey and the transmission of…

Read full review →
specimenb

specimenb

2026-08-10

⭐ 8

*The Hitcher* is a tense, brutal road thriller that turns a simple drive through the desert into a full-blown nightmare. I loved how lean and relentless it is: it wastes almost no time explaining itself, instead building dread through empty highways, eerie silences, and the sense that danger could appear anywhere. Rutger Hauer is phenomenal as John Ryder—calm, charismatic, and genuinely terrifying without ever needing to overplay the role. C. Thomas Howell gives the film a vulnerable center, and the increasingly desperate cat-and-mouse chase keeps the pressure on from start to finish. It’s …

Read full review →