The Hitcher

a good movie which there is now a remake of which is slightly better but then how could it not be with sean bean?

I'll say this much for this movie: it may burn up a lot of octane, but it doesn't waste any time. When this first appeared in '86, its Terminator-rip-off climax played more plagiaristically than it does today. There's a sly edge that threatens to push it to the brink of self-parody, but this is a flick that's stood the test of time.

Three strong performances from Howell, Hauer, & Leigh on top of a tight pace and a narrative that pulls zero punches make up for some occasionally iffy logic & a lead character who's just irritatingly stupid for a good chunk of the runtime. It's tense, gripping, & mostly well put together, & it's definitely an entertaining thriller despite steering dangerously close to nonsense several times. It's also incredibly depressing & almost nihilist by the end, but it works fairly well. Worth a look.

Rutger Hauer. That's all I have to say.