Spyrel S
Really poor film. Dialogue, acting, overall story. Just amateurish. Avoid.
Rated 1/5 Stars •
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
12/24/24
Full Review
Brennan W
This film really stood out to me because of how modern its storytelling was. The fact that this was directed by a woman in times where that didn't happen very often is truly inspiring. Darker films were not as welcoming in decades prior so having the noir murder thriller is very refreshing to see. This movie was really well crafted and stood out to me and pulled me in from the beginning. I really enjoyed this film as I had been watching a variety of older films, but this one stuck out in particular. I really love a film that has smart and interesting storytelling and this one has it. For a film that is rarely spoken about, i'm surprised it hasn't found its spotlight yet. Overall I enjoyed the film and would recommend it to anyone that loves noir and thrill movies. Older ones like this are often forgotten when they can offer so much insight.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
12/21/24
Full Review
anthony t
Hitch Hiker is an amazing noir film in which we follow two characters (Roy and Gilber) who are on a mission to find a fugitive killer. It's a thriller film which encapsulates you with suspense and mystery. Coming into this film knowing that a woman directed this piece was fully remarkable because this occurring (woman being a director) during this time was highly never an occurrence. But I believe Ida Lupino gave this film a new stripped-back position of what a thriller should be. While watching this film you feel a sense of depression and sorrow as the film progresses, and a part of that is due to the minimalist nature of its surroundings. The film itself doesn't feel filled with extra pieces, or fillers per instance. It's a shorter-length film than many, but it does its job to showcase what the story needs to tell. You are in full suspense from beginning to end, which is what I as the viewer love, and so many others as well. It's a film I don't see many speaking about and like a hidden gem within the history of cinema. I have recommended this film to friends already, and can't wait to see more praise as time progresses. I would recommend it to many.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
12/21/24
Full Review
Miriam F
The Hitch-Hiker (Dir. Ida Lupino) is a noir/thriller centered around two friends by the names of Ray Collins and Gilbert Bowen, who on a fishing trip decide to offer a ride to a hitchhiker. The hitchhiker, Emmett Myers, turns out to be a wanted man, for having killed several people. He is merely using the friends as a means of transportation to Santa Rosalia and plans to kill them once they are no longer useful. This film is stressful in the sense that you’re always on edge, you never know when Myers will pull the trigger and because this is a friendship story, you become emotionally invested quickly. To me, this film raises the question of how far are you willing to go for friendship? Ray and Gilbert don’t necessarily have opposing personalities but they are at different points in their life and therefore, approach the situation differently. One had a family and for that reason is more cautious about the situation. While the other is also married, he does not have the same responsibilities and is willing to risk his life in an attempt to overthrow Myers. There are also several moments in the film where Myers attempts to turn the friends on each other which raises another question, how strong is their friendship? For all the stress the film puts you through in a short amount of time, the ending was somewhat anticlimactic. It is good that no one was murdered by Myers and that his plans didn’t work out but maybe the most satisfying part was when both friends got to give him a good punch.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
12/20/24
Full Review
Javier M
Directed by Ida Lupino, The Hitch-Hiker is brilliant, a well-made piece that is incredibly tense throughout the duration of the film. I was very surprised to see that this was directed by a woman, a rare example of this being the case during those times. Ida is definitely a trailblazer and a history maker, she carved out a space for herself and broke grounds in a male-dominated space at the time and directed a feature film. The Hitch Hiker revolves around two friends wanting to go on a trip to Mexico, though they clearly never get to their intended location. Instead, a wanted man, a serial killer is on the loose, named Emmett Myers who’s on the run. He just so happens to take the two friends as hostages as they drive him around, effectively helping him run from the cops. Myers threatens the two with killing them if they don’t oblige to his demands and decide to do their own thing, he practically controls them for the days in which he makes them be on the run with him. The film is innocent versus evil, evil tries to overpower innocence. The two friends are clearly just ordinary family men, the everyday soul you see across the street, they are not experience at all when it comes to situations like the ones Myers puts them through the film, so it’s really nice to see them try and keep up even though they’re clearly desperate to get out of the situation. Both men attempt to get out but Myers always has an eye on them, always his gun drawn towards them and even sleeps with only one eye open to keep an eye on them. Overall, this is such a chilling film that has a very strong and deserving ending, I even rooted for the eventual demise of Myers himself.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
12/20/24
Full Review
Eliza B
The Hitch-Hiker is an interesting example of a 1950s film noir and plays with some of the classic elements of noir. It’s an interesting choice by the director Ida Lupino, the first female director of a film noir, to make a movie involving pretty much only men. There are several elements in the story that critique or highlight different aspects of masculinity. The captives have a few chances to escape and don’t. This isn’t because they don’t want to escape, it’s because every opportunity to escape comes with the chance that one or both of them will end up dead. Both captives care about the other’s well being enough to delay escape in the hopes of a better opportunity. The film is suspenseful and portrays well the mental state of two hostages being dragged along. Despite being filmed in the early 1950’s in mostly outdoors locations, the film is well lit. Ironically, some of the night scenes are lit better in this film than some in modern films despite the technical challenges associated with shooting on film outdoors. The film embodies a wrong-place wrong-time narrative which increases the suspense of the film by making it seem like it could happen to anybody. Further, the film is based on true events, making it particularly terrifying for an early 1950’s audience. Overall, this is an excellent example of film noir and has some technical and social aspects which feel ahead of their time and is well worth a watch.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
12/20/24
Full Review
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