The Hitcher 2: I’ve Been Waiting (2003)

Unneeded sequel that played more like a Lifetime Network movie than anything remotely resembling the tension laced first film. C. Thomas Howell returns as a paranoid cop on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Deciding to face his fears from the first film and his encounter with a crazy hitchhiker, he and his girlfriend travel down the same stretch of road only to encounter, shock of shocks, another crazy hitchhiker! While there are several decent little twists here and there, the dreaded PG-13 rating and the lack of Rutger Hauer as the hitchhiker ensures this one to the “unneeded sequel that went straight to video” market. The first “Hitcher” was an exercise in straight up pure tension and suspense that, along with Hauer’s excellently psychotic performance, practically peeled the paint of the frigging walls. Jake Busey is Hauer’s replacement here, and while his performance is decent enough, he just never comes close to presenting the threatening vibe that’s needed to give the film that extra “oomph”. Skip this one and re-watch the first instead.