Why 'The Hitcher' is Still Going Strong After More than 35-Years
Inspired by song "Riders on the Storm"—specifically the lyric "there’s a killer on the road"—the story follows Jim Halsey ( C. Thomas Howell ), a young man delivering a car from Chicago to San Diego. During a rainstorm in the West Texas desert, he picks up a hitchhiker named John Ryder ( Rutger Hauer ). The Hitcher
Rutger Hauer’s performance as John Ryder is widely considered one of the greatest villainous portrayals in film history. Unlike many 1980s horror icons, Ryder is given no backstory, motive, or clear origin. Why 'The Hitcher' is Still Going Strong After