The Hitcher (1986)

On his way to deliver a car to San Diego, Jim Howell picks up a hitchhiker in the lonesome desert. Whoops. Rutger Hauer plays psychotic nut John Ryder who quickly informs Jim he’s going to cut off his legs and arms just like he did to the previous driver who picked him up. Jim escapes only to frequently encounter Rider and his trail of dismembered corpses, eventually finding himself becoming the prime suspect in the murders. “The Hitcher” works on a completely surreal level as director Robert Harmon serves up one nightmarish scenario after another. Rutger Hauer is dead on as the psychotic nut, and there is something a little deeper going on here between the characters of Howell and Ryder than meets the eye. Though it is a serial killer/action flick, this one’s got plenty of food for thought. Harmon could have gone way of most mainstream films yet he thankfully abandons many cliché’s (love angle, happy ending, etc.) and sticks to his vision. The vacant desert locale adds greatly to the films sense of isolation and despair, as just when you think Howell’s ditched The Hitcher the dude pops up yet again. “The Hitcher” is a very rewarding flick, and a must view if you come across a copy.