The Hitcher (1986)
Directed by: Robert Harmon
Written by: Eric Red
Starring: C. Thomas Howell, Jeffrey DeMunn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rutger Hauer
THE HITCHER (1986)
Directed by Robert Harmon
Released by Second Sight Films
Available on Limited Edition dual format 4K and Blu-Ray
Also available on standard edition 4k UHD and Blu-Ray
A young guy named Jim Halsey is driving through the night in a driveaway to California, when he picks up a drenched hitchhiker at the side of the road – but his kind-hearted deed quickly turns into a decision he regrets when the hitcher reveals his sinister intentions.
Director Robert Harmon arrived on the scene with a bang following his short film China Lake with his debut feature film – a killer road movie penned by Eric Red in which a hitchhiker, by the name of John Ryder, played by Rutger Hauer, makes young driver Jim Halsey’s (E.T.‘s C. Thomas Howell) life a living nightmare as he preys upon those travelling along the road. Revealing his true intentions, John challenges Jim to stop him, if he can, but he’ll be coming for Jim either way.
I remember being around 12 years old when I first watched The Hitcher one afternoon at a friend’s house. With the curtains closed and us kids sat on the carpet in front of the glow of the TV, I recall being unnerved to my very core about what I saw unfold on screen that summer afternoon. That memory has been with me ever since and, still to this day, The Hitcher remains a film that frightens me in ways that other horrors can’t. Why? I suppose because it’s the realness of the events. There’s no boogieman in a mask with supernatural powers or one that haunts your dreams. This is just a normal-looking guy picked up from the side of the road. It could feasibly happen to anyone. And as we know, no good deed goes unpunished as the naive Jim Halsey finds out.
With life hanging in the balance, the cat and mouse chase between John Ryder and Jim Halsey rarely comes up for air before coming back at you for another jab-cross combo, throwing in a gut punch now and again before gearing up for the KO. Ryder systematically breaks down Halsey’s innocence, inch by inch, over the duration of the film, transforming him from a wet behind the ears kid to living his worst nightmare in a fight for survival. Hats off to C. Thomas Howell who plays Halsey magnificently and really stretches his skills as he’s put under pressure from this seemingly unstoppable force opposite him. We see the fear and desperation in him, but as the saying goes, it’s fight or flight and Jim Halsey, no matter how scared he is, doesn’t want to die and will do everything he can to stay alive. However, things aren’t that simple in THE HITCHER when John Ryder is always two moves ahead in the game, adding pressure from other directions that leaves Halsey even more isolated.
THE HITCHER is many things… it’s a thriller, a horror, a drama, a road movie… hell, it even rivals action films with the amount of car chases, explosions and vehicle flips in it. This is not any ordinary film by a long shot. Each aspect is so integral to the composition of the movie that makes it such a unique beast. It’s menacing and savage, with a raw appeal that feels so natural and effortless. It is a work of art in its own right and that’s down to each and every person and working part involved in creating the film that makes it a masterpiece and one that should never have had the insult of being remade (much like The Wicker Man).
One of the major ingredients to the success of the film is choosing the right people for the roles, and no one could have been more fitting to play the role of John Ryder than Rutger Hauer. His nonchalance approach to the character with that glint in those baby blues puts you at unease right from the start. His slight smirk as his lip turns up at the corner begs more questions than it will ever answer. He’s really difficult to read so when he lays down his intentions to Jim Halsey, it comes as a shot right between the eyes. Hauer’s skills transcend dialogue. He’s such an exceptional performer that he adds so much to a scene even before uttering a line and when he does deliver the goods, it always hits right where it needs to. Even though his presence strikes fear into the heart of the viewer, we can’t help but be captivated each time Hauer’s Ryder appears on screen.
THE HITCHER perfectly builds tension right from the opening scene and never truly lets the viewer relax, even to the final moments of the movie. Very few films can command such an experience, one that never truly leaves you, but this film has it nailed, so much so that, almost 40 years later, it still manages to shock you to your core.
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Second Sight Films have given 80’s gem THE HITCHER a 4K restoration from the original camera negative supervised and approved by director Robert Harmon, for their Limited Edition Dual 4K UHD and Blu-ray boxset. The UHD presented in HDR with Dolby Vision and features Dolby Atmos and original stereo audio mixes, whilst the release also comes complete with a 200-page hardback book with exclusive Robert Harmon interview by Lou Thomas, exclusive Eric Red interview by Matt Thrift and new essays by Heather Drain, David Kittredge, Craig Ian Mann, Rebecca McCallum, Meagan Navarro and Jon Towlson. But that’s not all. The limited edition also has included Eric Red’s original screenplay book and six collectors’ art cards, all packaged up in a rigid slipcase with new artwork by Adam Stothard.
The disc itself is loaded with juicy extras, which can also be found on the Standard Editions on 4K UHD and Blu-ray, with plenty of new interviews to be digested, delving into the making of the film.
New audio commentary by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
Film critic and author Alexandra Heller-Nicholas breaks down her experience and perception of the movie with academic-style analysis exploring different themes she extracts from the film.
Audio commentary with Robert Harmon and writer Eric Red
An informative and insightful exploration of The Hitcher with two of the men behind the film, director Robert Harmon and writer Eric Red. The duo talk about the ideas of the film, such as Red gaining inspiration from The Doors’ track Riders on the Storm, whilst Harmon discusses the shots and camera setups. Harmon and Red aren’t constantly talking during the commentary, instead only speaking when they have something to share about the scene. For any fan of the movie, it’s a very interesting listen.
Scene-specific audio commentary
Robert Harmon, Eric Red, Executive Producer Edward S Feldman, Composer Mark Isham, Director of Photography John Seale and Actors Rutger Hauer and C. Thomas Howell discuss various scenes throughout the film.
The Projection Booth Podcast
A full length audio podcast playing over the film, with Mick White, Brian Kelly and Josh Jackson discussing The Hitcher. Also featuring Robert Harmon and Rutger Hauer.
Bullseye (41 mins 29 secs)
In this new interview with Robert Harmon, the director talks about his approach to The Hitcher, the character of John Ryder and getting his foot through the door with his short film China Lake which is what made the sweet transition to The Hitcher become a reality. Harmon discusses the casting choices, bagging Rutger Hauer in the role following Flesh + Blood and Blade Runner, and his experiences working with the performers and crew, such as DoP, John Seale. Harmon is very relaxed and easy to listen to, sharing great stories about the film.
Penning the Ripper (41 mins 9 secs)
The Hitcher’s writer, Eric Red, talks about his introduction to writing and inspiration for the story and script of The Hitcher in this brand new interview. He discusses what aspects of his own experiences he drew upon to influence certain settings and aspects of the story. He also talks about the films that inspired the movie, such as Duel and Race with the Devil. An insightful interview into the concept of the story.
Doomed to Live (28 mins 19 secs)
A new interview with C. Thomas Howell as he talks about his attitude and experience at the time of being hired for the role of Jim Halsey. He talks with great enthusiasm about the movie, how it was received and how he grew as an actor, learning so much about the craft of acting from his fellow performers Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jeffrey DeMunn. He also tells some great stories working with the rest of the cast.
The Man from Oz (9 mins 40 secs)
In this new interview with John Seale, he talks about meeting Robert Harmon and how he initially had concerns over the script with there being so much violence. He speaks about how those concerns were alleviated by Harmon’s vision for “less is more” which convinced him to do the movie. Seale discusses various aspects of how he perceived shots and also talks about the film’s reception.
A Very Formative Score ( 15 mins 30 secs)
Mark Isham shares his introduction to music as a classically trained trumpet player in this new interview, and talks about his interests in classical, jazz and electronic music which bought him to film composing, despite never having done that kind before. He gives background on his first movie Never Cried Wolf which led to him working with Robert Harmon. For music buffs and budding composers, Isham spills technical knowledge and describes his setup and approach to create a score that reflected different elements of The Hitcher.
Duel Runner (19 mins 55 secs)
A video essay by Leigh Singer on the evolution of The Hitcher and Rutger Hauer. Singer analyses the character of John Ryder, draws comparisons with other movies like Duel, and slashers like the Halloween reboot when people judge The Hitcher as a slasher movie.
China Lake (34 mins 48 secs)
The newly restored short film by Robert Harmon that set him up for the feature film directing job on The Hitcher.
The Calling Card: Robert Harmon on China Lake (15 mins 15 secs)
Robert Harmon discusses his origins and interests in photography. From being a still photographer on B-movies to making China Lake to showcase his filmmaking skills in the hope to make a career as a director. He talks about writing and shooting China Lake, the process of making the film and the reception that followed leading to The Hitcher.
Telephone (26 mins 2 secs)
A short film directed and written by Eric Red
The Hitcher: How do these movies get made? (38 mins 6 secs)
Interviews with cast and crew, including Robert Harmon, Eric Red, John Seale, Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell and producer Ed Feldman, as they talk about the film, from getting involved to the making of.
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