

The Hitcher
The terror starts the moment he stops.
On a stormy night, young Jim, who transports a luxury car from Chicago to California to deliver it to its owner, feeling tired and sleepy, picks up a mysterious hitchhiker, who has appeared out of nowhere, thinking that a good conversation will help him not to fall asleep. He will have enough time to deeply regret such an unmeditated decision.
TMDB
6.9/10
1,124 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $6M
- Box office
- $5.8M
- Language
- English
- cop-killer
- sadism
- gun
- gas station
- psychopath
- falsely accused
- mass murder
- paranoia
- highway
- road trip
- serial killer
- man hunt
Top billed cast













Behind the camera
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
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Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- Theatrical (limited)RVictoria, Texas17 Jan 1986
- TheatricalR21 Feb 1986
United KingdomGB
- Theatrical1816 May 1986
- Physical15Added 4K UHD release date30 Sept 2024
AustraliaAU
- TheatricalR 18+10 Jul 1986
CanadaCA
- Theatrical21 Feb 1986
BrazilBR
- Theatrical1627 Nov 1986
ColombiaCO
- Theatrical7 Jan 1987
DenmarkDK
- Theatrical1512 Sept 1986
FinlandFI
- TheatricalK-1831 Oct 1986
FranceFR
- Theatrical1225 Jun 1986
GermanyDE
- Theatrical18West Germany27 Nov 1986
GreeceGR
- PhysicalDVD3 Sept 2002
Hong KongHK
- Theatrical4 Jun 1986
Frequently asked questions
The Hitcher was released on 17 January 1986.
Audience reviews
3- J7/10
JPV852
12/6/2024
Solid enough suspense-thriller with great action and menacing performance from Rutger Hauer, a few moments in the story felt a bit clunky, mainly how Jennifer Jason Leigh's character gets involved, which I will say the 2007 remake at least improved upon. Just a highly entertaining flick. **3.5/5**
- W4/10
Wuchak
12/19/2025
**_Thrilling desert road flick ruined by an implausible villain_** This is an action-packed thriller with the milieu of the remote Southwest à la Eastwood’s “The Gauntlet” mixed with psychological horror, even slasher. So, it’s reminiscent in ways of “Duel,” “The Getaway” and "Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry," but the enigmatic antagonist’s twistedness and powers add a goofy slasher vibe. The writer defended this on …
- S8/10
specimenb
8/10/2026
*The Hitcher* is a tense, brutal road thriller that turns a simple drive through the desert into a full-blown nightmare. I loved how lean and relentless it is: it wastes almost no time explaining itself, instead building dread through empty highways, eerie silences, and the sense that danger could appear anywhere. Rutger Hauer is phenomenal as John Ryder—calm, charismatic, and genuinely terrifying without ever nee…
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