The Hitcher (2007)

Director:

Dave Meyers

Writers (WGA):

Eric Red (screenplay) and
Jake Wade Wall (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

19 January 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Never pick up strangers.

Plot:

While driving through the New Mexico Desert during a rainy night, the college students Jim Halsey and...

Plot Keywords:

Villain Played By Lead Actor | Truck | Motel | Throat Slashed | Rainstorm

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Tue. July 29

4:30 AM

HBO

Cast

Sean Bean	...	John Ryder
Sophia Bush	...	Grace Andrews
Zachary Knighton	...	Jim Halsey
Neal McDonough	...	Lt. Esteridge
Kyle Davis	...	Buford's Store Clerk
Skip O'Brien	...	Sheriff Harlan Bremmer Sr.
Travis Schuldt	...	Deputy Harlan Bremmer Jr.
Danny Bolero	...	Officer Edwards
Jeffrey Hutchinson	...	Young Father
Yara Martinez	...	Beth
Lauren Cohn	...	Marlene
Michael J. Fisher	...	Transport Guard #2 (as Mike Fisher)
Joseph Michael Self	...	Transport Guard #1
Brad Robinson	...	Correctional Officer
Kurt Grossi	...	Officer Franklin

Also Known As:

A Morte Pede Carona (Brazil) [pt]
Asesino de la carretera (Mexico) [es]
Auto-stoppeur, L' (Canada: French title) [fr]
Autostoper (Croatia) [hr]
Carretera al infierno (Argentina) [es]
Hitcher (France) [fr]
Liftaren (Sweden) [sv]
Liftari (Finland) [fi]
Otostop tou tromou, To (Greece) [el]
Otostopçu (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
The Hitcher (Germany) [de]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody violence, terror and language.

Runtime:

84 min | Croatia:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:18 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Singapore:M18 | Finland:K-18 (uncut) | Argentina:16 | Ireland:18 (original rating) | USA:R (certificate #39360) | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Hong Kong:IIB | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Australia:R | Norway:15 | Brazil:16 | Malaysia:18PL | Portugal:M/18 | UK:15 (re-rating, cut) | UK:18 | Singapore:NC-16 (edited version) | Ireland:16 (re-rating on appeal) | Japan:R-15 | Germany:16 (cut) | Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Austin Studios - 1901 E. 51st Street, Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Focus Features

Trivia:

The movie that Grace is watching in the hotel near the end is The Birds (1963).

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When the car does the 360 spin, you can quickly spot the cameras and crew tied to the roof of the car whilst it's spinning.

Quotes:

[from trailer]
Jim Halsey: He's not gonna stop

Movie Connections:

Features The Birds (1963)

Soundtrack:

The Cowboy

A wild ride

So it's no masterpiece. I wasn't expecting one. As a good ol' blood-and-guts horror/thriller, it delivers. I will say is that it's not for the faint of heart, though. This is definitely a gruesome flick, even for today's standards. I was pretty close to the edge of my seat throughout 80 % of the film--so I'd say the film did its job. And watching Sophia Bush (from "John Tucker Must Die") run around in short skirts and tops made the film even more fun to watch. I do have a few mild criticisms. There are some clichéd scenes, like the main characters getting arrested and being taken to one of those precincts that only exist in movies. Only about three people are on staff, making it convenient for the killer to stroll inside, murder the officers in cold blood, and track his prey. Sean Bean plays the villain/title character. Sean's a significantly talented character actor, who most people probably recognize by face, rather than by name. This could've been a much more juicy role for him, but he's not given much to do. His performance consists of sneering and delivering sadistic one-liners in a monotone. I blame this more on his character being underwritten, rather than the actor himself. He has proved in movies like "Goldeneye" that he's capable of playing villains with much more depth. On the other hand, character actor Neal McDonough is given a pretty juicy role as the somewhat sympathetic sheriff. "The Hitcher" is not a film that will go down in history, but if you want to kill an hour and 30 minutes with a kick-a** popcorn flick, it's definitely worth watching.