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.
The Hitcher (1986) is a horror, action and thriller film directed by Robert Harmon, released on January 17, 1986 with a runtime of 1h 38m. It stars Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jeffrey DeMunn. Viewers rate it 6.9 out of 10 across 1,104 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Hitcher before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for The Hitcher.
Trailer
Teaser
Teaser
Clip
Clip
Featurette
Featurette
Featurette
Rutger Hauer
as John Ryder
C. Thomas Howell
as Jim Halsey
Jennifer Jason Leigh
as Nash
Jeffrey DeMunn
as Captain Esteridge
Billy Green Bush
as Trooper Donner
John M. Jackson
as Sergeant Starr
Henry Darrow
as Trooper Hancock
Jon Van Ness
as Trooper Hapscomb
Jack Thibeau
as Trooper Prestone
Armin Shimerman
as Interrogation Sergeant
Gene Davis
as Trooper Dodge
Tony Epper
as Trooper Conners
Directed by Robert Harmon, written by Eric Red, produced by David Bombyk and Kip Ohman.
Average viewer score of 6.9/10 from 1,104 ratings.
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**
Reviewed on December 6, 2024
**_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 the…
Reviewed on December 19, 2025
*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…
Reviewed on August 10, 2026
2007
2013
2009
2007
2023
2000
1964
2009
2007
1992
2013
2024
2020
2025
1972
2006
2011
2014
2019
2012
2008
2008
1995
1996
1997
1997
2008
2008
1958
2006
2022
1998
1980
1980
2006
2023
2017
2017
1996
1995
The Hitcher (1986) is available to stream on Cinemax Amazon Channel and Cinemax Apple TV channel. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of The Hitcher (1986) includes Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jeffrey DeMunn and Billy Green Bush. The film was directed by Robert Harmon. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Hitcher was released on January 17, 1986 and runs for 1h 38m.
The Hitcher (1986) holds an average rating of 6.9 out of 10 from 1,104 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy horror, action and thriller films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Hitcher trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
