Dir. Dave Meyers, US, 2007, 83 mins
Cast: Sean Bean, Sophia Bush, Zachary Knighton, Neal McDonough
Review by Matthew Rodgers
Thumbing a lift on the congested remake highway is this latest effort from the Michael Bay’s “Dude, I used to work in music videos” production line of directors. David Ayers has worked with Missy Elliot and Britney Spears and the clichéd visuals and fast edits that can easily sustain a three minute song (only just in Spears’ case) fail to maintain much interest in this unwarranted version of the “not that good” 1986 Rutger Hauer starrer.
Grace and Jim (Bush and Knighton) are on there way to that ritual of American teen life, Spring Break, stopping only to fuel up and almost knock over a rain drenched John Ryder (Bean) who is the hitch-hiker of the film's title. Understandably he doesn’t take too kindly to the fate usually only reserved for mosquitos and inquisitive moths and spends the rest of the film attempting to kill the young couple, resulting in a ride more tedious than a four hour backseat journey as a child.
A lot about The Hitcher is incredibly good looking; the young cast of splinter inducing talent certainly avoided all branches on the ugly tree and at times the shots of the open road and the sultry Sophia Bush are reminiscent of an Aerosmith video, all sun-drenched vistas and a “soundtrack in all good stores now” tune blazing in the background. It almost makes you consider going along for the ride, that is until you remember you are meant to be watching a thriller and you haven’t once been thrilled.
No tension and very little set piece structure apart from the unrealistically horrific finale, The Hitcher should race in and out of cinemas quicker than you can say “Sean Bean and Pay Cheque”, just don’t stick your arm out.
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