Rutger Hauer delivers a truly iconic, reference level performance as "John Ryder", an enigmatic and murderous hitchhiker tormenting the young protagonist, Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell). Hauer's portrayal of Ryder is a mesmerizing and disturbing blend of evil and unmitigated violence. His character is one of the most memorable villains in horror cinema.
The film's narrative is driven by a relentless sense of dread, as Jim finds himself trapped in a very serious game of cat and mouse with Ryder. The suspense is palpable, and the film's non-stop stress keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.
"The Hitcher" manages to quickly create, and maintain, a nearly constant sense of dread and fear throughout the film right to the credits. To briefly touch on just one element, the cinematography is a significant contributor to its suspenseful atmosphere. There's a stark, realistic style that highlights the film's violent tone. The warm color pallet compliments the dusty desert settings. Wide-angle lenses in close quarters create a sense of claustrophobia in confrontations between Jim and the Hitcher. There's also extra low and high angles that create their own emotional impact in key scenes. The camera often moves with a character (Jim), from behind, prepping the viewer to expect a reverse cut to his menacing pursuer. But the cut usually doesn't occur - this is a simple and effective technique for maintaining stress levels, used throughout the movie.
Despite being released over three decades ago, "The Hitcher" remains a powerful and disturbing film. "What do you want?" the hitcher is asked. What does evil want? Does the question even make sense?
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