The Hitcher

Year: 2007
Director: Dave Meyers
Cast: Sean Bean, Sophia Bush, Zachary Knighton, Neal McDonough

Back in 1986, there was a film called The Hitcher starring Rutger Hauer as a psychotic man who hitches a ride with a man, then terrorises him by stalking him and framing him for murder. This film here is a remake by director Dave Meyers.

The Hitcher starts with Grace Andrews (Bush) and Jim Halsey (Knighton), a young couple taking a road trip in a car during spring break. On their first night on the road, they almost run over a guy standing in their path in the rain. The guy apparently has car trouble but they decide not to help him. Later, they run into him again at a gas station. This time, he asks for a ride to the nearest motel, so Jim agrees.

However, on the way there, the stranger, who identifies himself as John Ryder (Bean), pulls a knife on them. Jim and Grace barely manage to throw him out of their car and escape, but it doesn't end there. Subsequently they run into him again, and realise he is not only violent, but relentless as well, as he targets other people on the highway. The two kids try to intervene, only to get themselves in trouble with the law. Before long, Jim and Grace find themselves playing a cat and mouse game with Ryder and the cops as well, as a determined lawman, Lt Esteridge (McDonough) is hot on their tail. And the body count rises.

So what we have here is a suspense thriller that takes one turn after another, in bloody fashion no less, as it gets to a climax that looks like an action movie. I am unable to make comparisons between this film and the original, since I didn't watch the latter. But this updated version, co-written by Eric Red who also wrote the original film's screenplay, isn't that bad. Some of the elements in this film may not be groundbreaking, but it is rather fun watching the four main characters play it out to the end. Director Dave Meyers, who makes his feature film debut, does a decent job too. Not bad for a music video director for artistes such as Missy Elliot, The Offspring and Britney Spears. He starts the film off interestingly enough with a statement of fact, followed by a rabbit becoming roadkill (no kidding), followed by the All American Rejects' Move Along as its soundtrack.

Bean does more than a decent job playing John Ryder, but one feels that he is a little miscast. Sure, Bean has a history of playing villains, but the silent, scary type of bad guy just isn't him. Bush and Knighton aren't too bad as the two unlucky kids stuck with the psychopath, while McDonough plays the cop almost the same way David Caruso plays Horatio Caine in CSI Miami. But in the place of the sunglasses is a 10 gallon hat.

For a 90 minute movie, it's rather watchable. But it does have its faults. The script calls for some illogical and cliched moments, like how Jim and Grace keep trying to get involved when they had plenty of chances to just run and not look back. The ending itself seems contrived, as Grace tries turning the tables on Ryder. You have to see it to know exactly what I mean. And you wouldn't believe how inept the police are in this story. You'd be left scratching your head as to why that is.

It's a good way to spend one hour and thirty minutes, but not if you want logic in your film. (3.5/5)