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The Hitcher

Play trailer Poster for The Hitcher R 1986 1h 37m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
63% Tomatometer 46 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
While transporting a car from Chicago to San Diego, Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) picks up a hitchhiker named John Ryder (Rutger Hauer), who claims to be a serial killer. After a daring escape, Jim hopes to never see Ryder again. But when he witnesses the hitchhiker murdering an entire family, Jim pursues Ryder with the help of truck-stop waitress Nash (Jennifer Jason Leigh), pitting the rivals against each other in a deadly series of car chases and brutal murders.
The Hitcher

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Its journey is never quite as revelatory as it could be, but The Hitcher stands as a white-knuckle vision of horror, bolstered by Rutger Hauer's menacing performance.

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Critics Reviews

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Jeff Strickler Minneapolis Star Tribune Jan 30, 2026
3/10
The leap of logic necessary to get involved in the excitement is accepting that Howell is a world-class idiot who keeps putting himself in jeopardy, at times intentionally. Go to Full Review Paul Attanasio Washington Post Jan 4, 2018
This set-up is intriguing, and you wish director Robert Harmon had made more of it. Go to Full Review Simon Abrams House Next Door Mar 29, 2011
That kind of nonstop self-seriousness should wear thin after a while but director Robert Harmon makes the screenplay's unabashed cruelty more potent than churlish. Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Apr 8, 2026
4/5
‘…a classic 80’s action-driven B movie that’s utterly remorseless in chasing down thrills….while the initial reaction in cinemas was muted, The Hitcher went on to be a cult film and no wonder; it’s the gnarliest thing out there…’ Go to Full Review Richard Martin Ottawa Citizen Jan 30, 2026
The Hitcher seems to be trying hard to be more than just another splatter movie. Go to Full Review Maitland McDonagh MaitlandOnMovies (Substack) Dec 25, 2024
I first saw "The Hitcher" (1986) in a theater and it was a crowd-pleaser in the sense that it hit every note and played the squirm inducers with bell-like clarity. But it was also exquisitely anxiety-producing. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ian S @RT48225084 Sep 26, 2026 The strong points were the visuals and the the performance of Rutger Hauer including the dark humor. The weak point was the script. Too many car crashes and dumb cops. Whenever Hauer was on screen the movie picked up. A few changes would have made it much better but still a pretty good movie. See more Robert P @Superbad Sep 23, 2026 The Hitcher = a *4* star Movie! See more Bruce F @MoralMaster Sep 8, 2026 Wow what an A+ experience great acting scenery camera work many twist i was invested to the last second im sure I will watch many more times masterpiece See more Aria C @Ariacoopcoop Aug 21, 2026 Best movie ever icl if you don’t like it your a burger✌️ See more Romas M @Romas May 8, 2026 Greetings from Lithuania. "The Hitcher" (1986) is an action suspense thriller that reminded me of "Duel". It is very well made thriller that I was engaged from beginning till end. Story is simple yet effective - an innocent man it put under pressure by a mysterious hijacker - and I will leave it at that. I enjoyed performances by C. Thomas Howell and the late great Rutger Hauer. Cinematography was pretty amazing in this movie. Editing is also very good. This is not a conventional action film in any way and I liked that it had this mystery surrounding main villain and even more his motivations. If nothing else this is a thriller that does what it has to do - thrill and in a good way. See more Steven F. @SteveGotScored Apr 6, 2026 Honestly such a thrill ride and teaches a hard lesson about hitchhikers! See more Read all reviews
The Hitcher

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Cast & Crew

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Robert Harmon

Director

Rutger Hauer

John Ryder

C. Thomas Howell

Jim Halsey

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Nash

Jeffrey DeMunn

Captain Esteridge

John M. Jackson

Sergeant Starr

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The Hitcher

The Hitcher (1986) The Hitcher (1986) The Hitcher (1986) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis While transporting a car from Chicago to San Diego, Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) picks up a hitchhiker named John Ryder (Rutger Hauer), who claims to be a serial killer. After a daring escape, Jim hopes to never see Ryder again. But when he witnesses the hitchhiker murdering an entire family, Jim pursues Ryder with the help of truck-stop waitress Nash (Jennifer Jason Leigh), pitting the rivals against each other in a deadly series of car chases and brutal murders.
Director
Robert Harmon
Producer
David Bombyk, Kip Ohman
Screenwriter
Eric Red
Production Co
HBO Films, Silver Screen Partners IV
Rating
R
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.1M
Runtime
1h 37m
Sound Mix
Stereo, Surround
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