The Hitcher Information

The Hitcher is a 2007 horror thriller film starring Sean Bean, Sophia Bush, and Zachary Knighton. It is a remake of the 1986 film of the same name starring Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and C. Thomas Howell. The Hitcher was directed by Dave Meyers and produced by Michael Bay's production company Platinum Dunes. This is the next feature film which Sean Bean collaborated with Michael Bay after Bay's 2005 film, The Island.

The film was released on January 19, 2007, in the USA and on June 1, 2007, in the UK.

Plot

Jim Halsey (Zachary Knighton) and Grace Andrews (Sophia Bush) are driving across New Mexico on their spring break holiday. At night, a hitchhicker (Sean Bean), dangerously stands on the road, near his broken down car. Jim nearly hits him and his car spins out of control. Grace insists that someone else will stop to help and they speed off.

At a gas station, Jim sees the hitchhiker climb out of a truck. The hitchhiker introduces himself as John Ryder and asks for a ride. Reluctantly Jim agrees. While on the road, the hitchhiker becomes violent and attacks them. The hitchhiker tells him the only way to save himself and Grace is to say, "I want to die." Jim hits the brakes, causing the hitchhiker to hit his head and kicks the hitchhiker repeatedly until Grace opens the passenger door and he is ejected.

Later Jim and Grace drive down the road and see a station wagon with a family in and the hitchhiker in the back, having hitched a ride. Grace and Jim try to warn the family of the hitchhiker, but crash their car. The couple is forced to continue on foot and they eventually find the family's car on the side of the road. Both children and the mother are dead, with the father slowly dying.

Taking the station wagon, the couple head towards town hoping to take the man to a hospital. After the hitchhiker attempts to run them off the road, Jim and Grace stop at a cafe, where the man dies. Suspected of committing the murders, Jim and Grace are arrested and brought to the police station. The hitchhiker arrives and kills everyone at the station except Jim and Grace, who flee.

Despite suspecting that there might be a third suspect, Lieutenant Esteridge (Neal McDonough) continues to pursue the couple. The hitchhiker shows up and helps Jim and Grace escape the police, managing to single-handedly take out all of the cruisers and the helicopter.

Grace and Jim walk arrive at a motel and Jim steps out of the room to make a phone call. He is gone for several hours and Grace falls asleep watching TV, but is woken by the hitchhiker, who tries to rape her, but Grace manages to fight him off and hide in the bathroom.

The hitchhiker disappears and Grace searches for Jim. The motel manager, seeing her with a gun, calls the police. Grace finds Jim who is chained between a truck and a trailer. The hitchhiker, in the truck, revs the engine, moving the truck hurting Jim. Grace runs to the cab and points the gun at the hitchhiker, demanding he stops. The hitchhiker continues to torture Jim as the police arrive. Still thinking Grace and Jim are the killers, they see Grace holding the hitchhiker at gunpoint and do not realize Jim is being tortured. Telling her to drop the gun, the hitchhiker tells Grace not to listen to them and moves the truck at speed, splitting Jim in half and killing him. The hitchhiker and Grace are then apprehended by the police.

The next morning, Esteridge tells Grace, whose innocence has been proven, that the real John Ryder is missing and they do not know the true identity of this hitcher. He also informs her that he will be taking her to her parents and the hitchhiker will be transported across the state in a separate van. During the journey, the hitchhiker breaks free of his restraints, kills the guard who is watching him, and causes the van to crash after the driver loses control, also causing Esteridge and Grace to crash.

Esteridge is trapped in the car and Grace takes Esteridge's gun, leaving him unarmed and she slowly makes her way to the van. Grace opens the van and the hitchhiker attacks her and locks her in the back. The hitchhiker shoots a pool of gasoline near the van, igniting it. Grace manages to get a shotgun from the front seat of the van and escapes, just before the gasoline explodes. The hitchhiker shoots Esteridge and walks away. However, Grace shoots the hitchhiker killing him and ending his rampage.

Cast

• Sean Bean - John Ryder/The Hitcher
• Sophia Bush - Grace Andrews
• Zachary Knighton - Jim Halsey
• Neal McDonough - Lieutenant Esteridge
• Kyle Davis - Buford's Store Clerk
• Skip O'Brien - Harlan Bremmer, Sr.
• Travis Schuldt - Harlan Bremmer, Jr.
• Danny Bolero - Officer Edwards
• Lauren Cohn - Marlene
• Yara Martinez - Beth
• Jeffrey Hutchinson - Young Father

Reception

Box office

The movie debuted at #4 at the US the box office with $7,818,239 made in the opening week. After three weeks the movie placed #11 at the Box Office and subsequently made $16,366,370. 5 weeks after its nationwide release, The Hitcher had been pulled from most screens due to its poor performance at the box office and poor reviews, and was completely removed from cinemas after six weeks. The Hitcher began its international release on March 1, 2007. As of June 30, 2009, the film has had a lifetime gross of only $47,203,856.

Critical reception

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 20% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 93 reviews, with the consensus that the film is "interested in cheap shocks, and gratuitous gore and torture." The movie did slightly better on Metacritic, gaining a 29 rating. Empire Magazine gave the film two stars and said that the picture was totally inferior to the original. The Guardian said "Don't even slow down for this one; certainly don't tag along for the ride."

DVD and Blu-ray

The DVD was released on May 1, 2007, featuring the theatrical R-rated cut in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen, along with English and French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround tracks.

The Hitcher Became available on Blu-ray in Australia December 10, 2008.

Awards and nominations

• Sophia Bush: 2007 Teen Choice Awards: Choice Movie Actress: Horror/Thriller (Won)
• Sophia Bush: 2007 Teen Choice Awards: Choice Movie: Breakout Female (Won)
• Sophia Bush: 2007 Vail Film Festival: Rising Star Award (Won)
• Crew: 2008 World Stunt Awards: Best Work In A Vehicle (Nominated)