The Hitcher (2007)

  • Review Date: April 30, 2007
  • R
  • Genre: Horror
  • 2007
 Review

Common Sense Media says

Very bloody remake of Rutger Hauer cult favorite.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know this remake of a 1986 horror film about a ruthless killer is violent and bloody from beginning to end. Bloody bodies, body parts, and splats of blood appear repeatedly. Weapons include knives, handguns, shotguns. Cars crash and flip over. Assaults are brutal and gratuitous (a rabbit is killed at start of movie, just because). There are images of gunshots to foreheads, and a stabbing victim lingers for some time, gasping and praying as his chest spurts blood. The goriest bits include a body ripped in half between two trucks (in the original movie, this was implied; here, it's shown) and a shotgun assault. Some fairly mild sexual scenes and strong language, including about 40 uses of "f--k," plus other profanity and sexual slang.

  • Hitchhiker/killer shows no remorse and no apparent reason for his killings; victims must fight back with increasing violence.
  • Repeated, ongoing bloody violence and aftermaths; cars crash, screech, and flip over; weapons include knives, handguns, and shotguns, as well as explosions (car gas tank blows up, with lots of flames and slow-motion drama); couple's car almost hits villain in the rain (jolting scene); villain pulls knife on couple in car and holds it to her eye and his neck; a victim appears with a knife in chest (lots of blood, spurting and seeping); a family appears bloodily dead (mother's throat cut, child's body visible, next to bloody stuffed frog); assaults occur primarily via stabbing and shooting (several shots to victims' foreheads, leaving bloody holes); bloody handprints on windows, bodies on floors in pools of blood; villain's assult on Grace in bed involves kicking, slapping, punching, and her biting him; person chained between two trucks is ripped in half (graphic image).
  • Grace wears tight tops (bra straps showing, with some cleavage) and miniskirt; she shows her underpants and bra while changing clothes (in car and in bathroom); brief shower scene shows her profile (breasts covered by arm), as well as Jim's naked back (they're in the shower together and kiss); waking in bed in her underwear, Grace mistakes movement under the covers as Jim's, and says "You're making me horny" (it's John Ryder, who says he's "horny," too, and then attacks her).
  • Repeated uses of "f--k" (about 40, with some in music lyrics), as well as other language, including "s--t," "hell," son of a bitch," "bitch," and sexual slang ("c--k" and "p---y").
  • Cars (Dodge Charger); mentions of Cheetos, Doritos, Twinkies, Ding-Dongs; visual of Hostess snack cake.
  • Cigarettes for sale at gas station.

What's the story?

A college student named Jim (Zachary Knighton) embarks on a road trip with his girlfriend Grace (Sophia Bush). Within minutes, they meet a dark stranger who calls himself John Ryder (Sean Bean). Ryder is implacable and unknowable. Ryder's first assault, in Jim and Grace's car after they agree to give Ryder a lift -- even though she knows they shouldn't -- leads Jim to believe that he can best the monster physically. But Grace gets the feeling that this won't be the case, so they spend the rest of the movie trying to get away from him.


Is it any good?

 

Bloody and pretty much relentless, the 2007 version of THE HITCHER offers little in the way of innovation. Some of the set pieces from the 1986 original remain intact: Jim and Grace see Ryder again on the road, in a station wagon ("Honk if You Love Jesus") with pretty blond kids and pleasant parents. And they have to deal with local cops who think they're responsible for Ryder's grisly murders (owing to Ryder's not-so-ingenious trail of bodies and clues).

As the kids do their best to elude this monster -- who, once again, is capable of anything, even apparently throwing a truck at them from the sky -- erstwhile music video director Dave Meyers' signature cleverness is visible mostly in some not-so-original stylistic details. These include bloody close-ups of spiders, a bloodied copy of the children's book Will I Go to Heaven?, hectic handheld camerawork, The Birds playing on a motel TV, and some obvious musical cues (David Soul's "classic" "Don't Give Up on Us Babe" plays on the car radio, while Nine Inch Nails' more graphic lyrics accompany a brutal sequence). As Grace becomes a version of Ryder, her metamorphosis does recall that of the original film's Jim. But here it's too often turned into hot-chick-with-a-gun clichés: She wears a miniskirt and boots, and she absolutely knows how to handle firearms, from handguns to shotguns. She's also a little too convincing when she asserts at last, "I don't feel anything." If Grace hasn't been here before, viewers most certainly have.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about how the characters change over the course of the movie -- particularly Grace. How does she become hardened by her experience with John Ryder? Families who've seen the original can also compare the two. What's different about this version? How do the changes reflect how media standards and culture has changed over the past 20 years? Why do you think they decided to remake this movie in the first place?


This review was written by Cynthia Fuchs
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
I really liked it
I really liked this movie. It wasn't as bloody as I thought it would be. The scene where the guy gets ripped in half wasn't as graphic as I thought it would be. The scene is shot from afar and it is dark, so all I really saw was something ripping in half with stuff coming out. There was alot of language in it used, but I always hear it in school, so it wasn't a big deal for me. Sophia Bush did a great job in it.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
It was extreamly boring.
I saw this movie with my cousin and my dad and the whole time I was in the theatre my cousin was complaining how boring it was. My dad looked like he fell asleep in there. I wanted to get out my seat.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Interestingly grotesque
There was probably more gore than needed to be. In general it was marketed towards the right age group and it was obvious from previews that it would not be suitable for children under 17.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 15 years old
June 1, 2009
 
AHHHHH!!!!!SCARRRRYYYYY MOVIIIEEEEE!!!!!!!!
This is a scary movie young people should'nt watch this movie. I think you should at least be 13 or 14 or even older to watch this movie. It does teach a lesson to not hitch hike or o talk to strangers, but there is a lot of violence. There is also a lot of bad words or causing going on. If your a parent who doesn't want there children to see this kind of stuff, then don't go to this movie! But do watch when your young to teach your child a lesson of life,

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 14, 2009
 
Another Physco Movie
The Hitcher, Another one of those physco movies going after a couple or people. It starts off with a couple going on a trip to somewhere (i forgot) and they decide to stop at a gas station, Blah Blah Blah. Then some guy ask for a ride... They give him a ride then he pulls a knife on the girl and goes crazy. Then they escape and the whole movie is the guy coming after them and killing people in the way. Its just that theres too many movies out there like this so i really cant get really into it. Theres one scene that really made me sick. I dont know its just another one of those physco movies i didnt care for.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
 
wath the movie!!!!!!!!!!

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
I laughed

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 18 years old
April 9, 2008
 
good but gory
this was a very good movie but it was also scary and gory for example a man gets teared apart by 2 trucks lots of shooting and blood . if your a horror fan and 13 or 14 go ahead !

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
 
I liked it!
it was scary. i didn't notice the bad language that much because i was pulled in by the suspense of the movie. it kept me watching and interested. i really liked this movie.

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Cynthia Fuchs
Studio:Rogue Pictures
Director:Dave Meyers
Cast:Sean Bean, Sophia Bush, Zachary Knighton
Genre:Horror
Run time:90 minutes
Theatrical release date:January 19, 2007
DVD release date:May 1, 2007
MPAA rating:R
MPAA explanation:strong bloody violence, terror and language.

This review was written by Cynthia Fuchs
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Video review


About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you see The Hitcher (2007)?


Already seen it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it