“The Hitcher” A bizarre road thriller created in the 1980s

"The holy" and "the evil." Who is John Ryder?

From here on, I will be writing my personal speculations about "The Hitcher," a movie whose story is so mysterious, based on my own personal opinions, prejudices, and delusions. I will not accept any objections or counterarguments, so please bear with me.

I watched the revival screening again this time and I thought... Could John Ryder and Jim Halsey be the same person? Aren't they the same beings, the holy and the evil, like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? If you watch it carefully, you'll notice that Halsey falls asleep (or almost falls asleep) many times in this movie. He's dozing off from the very beginning, and he almost hits a truck in the opposite lane.

This becomes a switch, and another personality, John Ryder, appears. And he repeats the killing spree. It's like Norman Bates in Psycho (1960), who coexists with himself and his mother. No matter how far Halsey runs, it's only natural that he will be caught by Ryder soon.

  The Hitcher© Filmverlag Fernsehjuwelen. All rights reserved.

Although originally supposed to share the same body, Halsey and Ryder were physically separated. The "evil" (Ryder) that had been suppressed by the power of the "sacred" (Halsey) spilled out. Ryder plunges a knife into Halsey's cheek and demands that he "say he wants to die" because he wanted the "evil" to take over "himself" by killing the "sacred".

There is a very strange scene. In a scene where the two of them face each other in a diner, Halsey asks in fear, "Why are you doing this?" Ryder licks a coin, sticks it on both of Halsey's eyelids, and tells him, "Think about it for yourself." It makes absolutely no sense. Putting a coin on both eyelids... In Greek mythology, there is an anecdote that if the dead are not paid to cross the River Styrus (the River of the Three Twice) to go to the underworld, they will wander for 100 years. This is why there is a custom in some areas of placing a silver coin on both eyes of the dead person at the funeral as a ferry fare to the underworld.

  The Hitcher© Filmverlag Fernsehjuwelen. All rights reserved.

So does that mean Halsey is already dead? Or is it a story of the underworld, where she dies in an accident while driving while dozing off in the opening scene, and has to go through many trials before she can cross the River Sanzu, i.e. the Texas highway? Or is her mission to eliminate the "evil" that has taken root within her?

The delusions are endless. I am certainly one of those who were driven mad by "The Hitcher."

Text: Rui Takeshima　

A pop culture writer who wants to be kicked by Hit Girl. Host of the web magazine "POP MASTER".

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"The Hitcher New Master Edition"

Released nationwide from Friday, January 8, 2021 at Cinemart Shinjuku and other theaters

Distribution: Unplugged

© Filmverlag Fernsehjuwelen. All rights reserved.