Overview
Collegiate couple Grace Andrews (Sophia Bush) and Jim Halsey (Zachary Knighton) hit the road in a 1970 Oldsmobile 442, en route to spring break, but their pleasure trip soon turns into a waking nightmare after encountering the mysterious hitchhiker John Ryder, a.k.a. The Hitcher (Sean Bean). The initial encounters with Ryder are increasingly off-putting for Grace and Jim, and they bravely fight back when he ambushes them. But they are truly blindsided when he implicates them in a horrific slaying and continues to shadow them. The open road becomes a battleground of blood and metal as, in trying to elude not only Ryder but also New Mexico State Police Lieutenant Esteridge's (Neal McDonough) officers, Grace and Jim must fight for their lives and face their fears head-on.
Review
I, personally, thought this movie was cool. I've read reviews where it didn't compare to the original and that it wasn't so great. However, I've never seen the original so I really had nothing to which to compare it.
It was, at times, rather graphic with the gore factor. It opens with a jackrabbit hopping around in a grassy area next to a road. The rabbit then decides to cross the road. We see the fuzzy look to the right and then hop into the road where it gets splattered by a car coming from the left. It was
somewhat sad and rather gross, but I suppose that was just to give the audience the general feel of things to come.
The Hitcher is not a slow-paced movie. It starts strong and finishes just as strong. I was, however, disappointed at the way it ended. Without disclosing the ending and giving it away, I'll just say that it didn't leave me feeling very pleased. It just was not, in my opinion, the right way to end it.
But, overall, it was a decent flick.
Akasha Knyght