Remakes tend to raise the ire of genre fans the world round. Whether you have seen the original film or not, you are bound to have an opinion. While some remakes scare me, like the upcoming The Day the Earth Stood Still (which has me quaking), I don't want to be the kind of guy who dismisses remakes out of hand; at the same time, I thirst for films with some originality. Then there is the question of whether or not it is better to go forward with a remake, or to "borrow" elements of another film — it's six of one, half dozen of the other — either way you are sure to upset someone.
That brings me to this remake of The Hitcher, the 1986 thriller with Rutger Hauer and C. Thomas Howell. I have not seen that film, so I didn't have the baggage coming in, something that I hope to rectify. As it stands, this turns out to be a flawed, yet delightfully gritty flick that I can honestly say that I liked.
I saw this on the big screen and I very much enjoyed it, and now seeing it again on the small screen, I have found that my feelings have not changed much. It is still a fun movie with some great car stunts, a delicious atmosphere of dread, and a killer performance from our ruthless killer.
Sean Bean anchors this film. He is John Ryder, the hitchhiker of the title, an enigmatic stranger who seems to want nothing more than to bring a little death and destruction. Bean dives into the role completely and disappears into the character. We don't learn much, outside of the cat-like way he plays with his prey before going in for the kill. I am convinced that Ryder may not even be human; I believe that he may be some sort of demonic spirit forever wandering the lonely highways looking for his next victim.
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