On H List of Movie Reviews
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The Hitcher (1986)
Rate:
4
Viewed:
3/05, 5/25
5/25:
Following the tradition of Duel, The Hitcher has good concepts, but I
wish it was more believable.
I have no qualms with the acting. C. Thomas Howell and Jennifer Jason Leigh were young when they did the film,
being 18 and 23 years old, respectively. Rutger Hauer is typical, having done this before in
Nighthawks and Blade Runner.
By the way, what woman is called "Nash"? It's a guy name. Silly people.
As for the film per se, I was waiting until the end for confirmation that the whole thing had been a dream, but
nothing came of it. How John Ryder was able to spot Jim Halsey perfectly anywhere at anytime either way on
I-10 requires 100% suspension of disbelief. So is his ability to take out cops effortlessly well. If they were
able to arrest Halsey as a suspect of the murders, it's a wonder why they couldn't get Ryder, too, and therefore
compare their faces.
El Paso? That's funny. Nothing I saw in The Hitcher resembles it. Sure, there are prominent mountains
around the area, but they're more isolated. In contrast, El Paso is an extremely sprawling city
with tons of houses near Franklin Mountains State Park. It turns out the movie was shot on location in
California and Arizona (Tinajas Altas Mountains, Trigo Mountains, and La Posa Plain).
How about that Jennifer Jason Leigh who's tied between the moving truck and the trailer before being ripped
into half? Boy, these cops are so dumb. Obviously, Ryder wasn't paying attention while talking to Halsey. All
the cops had to do is place cider blocks by the wheels to prevent the truck from moving forward and get a
sharpshooter to put a couple of bullets through the front windshield. Even better, one can simply go to the
back and cut the rope right away.
All in all, The Hitcher is a strong remake candidate.