The Hitch-Hiker

Released Mar 30, 1953

1h 11m

Mystery & Thriller

List

94%

47 Reviews

Tomatometer

62%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Ray (Edmond O'Brien) and Gilbert's (Frank Lovejoy) fishing trip takes a terrifying turn when the hitchhiker (William Talman) they pick up turns out to be a sociopath on the run from the law. He's killed before, and he lets the two know that as soon as they're no longer useful, he'll kill again. The two friends plot an escape, but the hitchhiker's peculiar physical affliction, an eye that never closes even when he sleeps, make it impossible for them to tell when they can make a break for it.

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Critics Consensus

Simply and sturdily constructed, The Hitch-Hiker consistently derives genuine terror from a chillingly plausible scenario.

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TIME Staff

TIME Magazine

The drama itself is confined to one basic situation: captives at the gunpoint mercy of a trigger-happy killer. But, playing this conflict for all it is worth, the movie works up a good deal of sweaty suspense without using false theatrics.

Feb 24, 2021

Full Review

Marjory Adams

Boston Globe

Don't take any children to see The Hitch-Hiker. And if anyone who sees the film ever picks up hitch-hikers again, he'll deserve what may happen.

Feb 24, 2021

Full Review

Mildred Martin

Philadelphia Inquirer

With nothing more than three able actors, a car, a lot of rugged scenery, and their own impressive talents as producers, authors and director, Collier Young and Ida Lupino have brewed a grim little chiller called The Hitch-Hiker.

Feb 24, 2021

Full Review

Brian Susbielles

InSession Film

Ida Lupino, one of the very few female directors of the time, made this stirring film noir influenced by Billy Cook...

Mar 8, 2023

Full Review

Tom Meek

Cambridge Day

In this taut depiction, the plot’s based on the true-life 1950 murder spree by Billy Cook.

Mar 21, 2022

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

If The Hitch-Hiker can be called feminist, then this label flows from a recurring theme in Lupino's work - her critique of society's need to maintain traditional gender roles and institutional normalcy, even if it means the loss of individuality.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 12, 2022

Full Review

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William L

Pioneering female director Ida Lupino takes on the noir, in many ways often considered among the most masculine of film genres with its love of dark themes, individuality, and grit. The Hitch-Hiker is a very stripped-down take on a very straightforward premise - two men held at gunpoint on a road trip - and doesn't carry much in the way of moral qualms or emotional complexity. Talman's Myers makes it clear not only that he is willing to kill his captives but that he considers it an inevitability, and it's his venomous tongue that gives the film most of its appeal but kills any of the manipulative mind games that you would think a character of his style might go in for. With that in mind, it feels almost more akin to a survival narrative than it does to a noir, apart from some of the classic framing and shadow-drenched shots (including a great one of a possibly-deadly dock that one of our protagonists is forced to walk down). There are a few pieces of the script that fall a bit flat or feel unnecessary, particularly the scattered scenes of pursuing law enforcement that seem to poke a hole in the oppressive atmosphere that the premise almost guarantees. Additionally, the final resolution to the film is pretty bland, especially considering that one of our long-suffering protagonists gets the better of his captor only to awkwardly let him up and run away to be captured by someone else. In the context of the noir genre, decisions like those stand out. Still, it's not like The Hitch-Hiker is bad viewing, particularly given the short length and Talman's performance (as well as the significance of Lupino's involvement); it's just not an all-time great. (2.5/5)

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/18/22

Full Review

Audience Member

I don't know why the rating on this one isn't higher. The Hitch-Hiker is really entertaining, holds its suspense all the way through, and doesn't drag on. While hitchhikers are really a thing of the past, the story of picking up a deranged one feels oddly possible, and that adds to the thrill of the story. Great way to spend 70 minutes.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Ida Lupino gets about everything she could out of directing this straightforward noir.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

andrey k

That a woman directed this film shouldn't be the first thing mentioned when speaking about this movie, it has merits of cinematic character. This film is simple but effective, well acted, with some good and some cynic characters as it should be in film noirs. But ultimately it's a minor effort worth watching though.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

dave s

Ida Lupino's The Hitch-Hiker is a surprisingly taut little thriller. The premise couldn't be more simple: two men on their way to a fishing trip pick up a hitch-hiker, who happens to be a gun-wielding homicidal maniac. William Talman is fantastic as the killer, filled with a barely suppressed rage and a hair-trigger temper. Despite dragging for a bit in the middle section, which seems odd for a 70-minute film, the tension builds steadily throughout and climaxes with a nice payoff. As a cautionary tale about blind trust, it's worth checking out.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

William Talman's portrayal of the sinister Emmett Myers is rarely talked about, but it should be considered as one of the best performances of its kind. Ida Lupino is considered to be the first woman to direct a Hollywood noir. The Hitch-Hiker was one of two 1950 films that featured Americans in Mexico tormented by an American psychopath. The other was John Sturges' Jeopardy.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

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Ida Lupino

Director

Edmond O'Brien

Roy Collins

Frank Lovejoy

Gilbert Bowen

William Talman

Emmett Myers

José Torvay

Captain Alvarado

Collier Young

Screenwriter

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Synopsis

Ray (Edmond O'Brien) and Gilbert's (Frank Lovejoy) fishing trip takes a terrifying turn when the hitchhiker (William Talman) they pick up turns out to be a sociopath on the run from the law. He's killed before, and he lets the two know that as soon as they're no longer useful, he'll kill again. The two friends plot an escape, but the hitchhiker's peculiar physical affliction, an eye that never closes even when he sleeps, make it impossible for them to tell when they can make a break for it.

Director: Ida Lupino
Screenwriter: Collier Young, Ida Lupino
Distributor: RKO Radio Pictures
Production Co: RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 30, 1953, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 7, 2015
Runtime: 1h 11m

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