The Hitcher (2007)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

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:

College Student | Hitchhiker | Police Station | Murder | Desert

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

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

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody violence, terror and language.

Runtime:

84 min | Croatia:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | USA:R (certificate #39360) | Australia:R | Germany:16 (cut) | Singapore:M18 | Singapore:NC-16 (edited version) | Portugal:M/18 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Malaysia:18PL | Hong Kong:IIB | UK:18 | UK:15 (re-rating, cut) | Norway:15 | Ireland:16 (re-rating on appeal) | Ireland:18 (original rating) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) | Brazil:16 | South Korea:18 | Germany:18 | Argentina:16 | Japan:R-15 | Italy:VM14 | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:MA (Cable TV rating) | France:-16

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Focus Features

Trivia:

The car Jim drives is an Oldsmobile 442.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: In the convenience store scene the guys says that Tatum is 15 miles away. Just before they get to the store there's mountains everywhere. There are no mountains or interstates anywhere near Tatum.

Quotes:

[from trailer]
Grace Andrews: You should be out there looking for him right now! HE IS GONNA KILL MORE PEOPLE!

Movie Connections:

Features The Birds (1963)

Soundtrack:

On and On

Not worth picking up...

Maybe, my expectations of this film were set too high. Frankly, I pondered why anyone would want to re-make what many genre fans (and movie buffs in general) already consider to be a cult-classic. Didn't anyone learn a thing about what usually happens to those who try to reinvent a classic (i.e. the poorly attempted re-make of 'Psycho', anyone?).

For those of you whom have seen the original 1986 'Hitcher', it is best to leave your experience to that. The characters in this 2007 version barely conjure up a heartbeat, much-less able to hold the viewers attention for more than a few mere minutes at a time!

That is not to say that the lack of dramatic affect is due solely to sub-par actors. It's complacency and sterileness is mostly due to a lack of vision and direction, rather than for a lack of competency on any of the actors behalf. Also, severely lacking is the film's score, which was a haunting staple in the original version, but which is barely of notice in this version.

Did the 'Hitcher' require a reattempting? The answer is clear: No. The producer's of this film also produced the 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' reduxs and while those films were successful both artistically as well in terms of box office dollars, their attempt here is quite unsuccessful at attempting to recreate the nerve-pounding suspense that only the original appears to be able to offer.

Do not slow down. Drive past this one and don't even bother taking a second glance.