FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS GOES FOR A RIDE WITH THE HITCHER

"I want you to stop me."

In The Hitcher, Teen Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) is tasked with delivering a car to California. On the long drive there, he picks up a hitchhiker (Rutger Hauer) from the pouring rain. Unfortunately for Jim, this simple act of kindness has unforeseen, nightmarish consequences. Winds up that The Hitcher is a crazed psychopath who has been killing off whoever is unlucky enough to give him a ride. He almost immediately starts up a new game with Jim: Kill him, or be killed by him. Now, Jim must dig deep to find the strength (and maybe even the darkness) within himself if he is to survive the Hitcher's crazed game.

The Hitcher is a film with clear Western influences . It's set on a dusty, desolate highway and our hero is on his own for most of the film. It has numerous chase scenes (the police are on a manhunt for Jim because he's been framed for The Hitcher's various murders), the locations all feel empty and dead, and it even has a few cool shoot-outs. The film itself is essentially a tale of good man vs. bad man, and it's made clear that Jim is likely the only person who can stop The Hitcher.

C. Thomas Howell is absolutely perfect as Jim. He makes Jim a relatable, sympathetic everyman who is stuck in a never-ending nightmare where things keep getting progressively worse. I really loved Jim in this film, and felt for his difficult plight. Rutger Hauer is terrifying as The Hitcher. He manages to imbue his character with a supernatural quality. It feels like he could pop up just about anywhere at any time. C. Thomas Howell and Rutger Hauer work very well off of each other, and the scenes they share together are powerful.  Jennifer Jason Leigh co-stars as Nash, a waitress at a roadside diner who joins up with Jim later on in the film. She's also quite likable, though her screen time is minimal.

The film is pretty intense for most of it's run-time. We get very little breathing room, as things continually build until it's satisfying and cool climax. The Hitcher is a movie that has a smart script (by Eric Red), great direction (by Robert Harmon), and cool cinematography (by John Seale). It also makes many smart character decisions. The Hitcher is scary, thrilling, tense, super cool, super bleak/dark, and just all around awesome. I'd say it's easily one of my favorite horror films I've seen, and naturally it comes highly recommended.

5 STARS