The Hitch-Hiker

"A true story of a man and a car and a gun." This dark film noir makes do with just a few ingredients. The man with a gun gets into the car of two unsuspecting amateur fishermen as an inconspicuous hitch-hiker but turns out to be a nationally wanted murderer and psychopath who forces them to drive him to the Mexican border. Thus begins a days-long horror and terror trip through barren landscapes. The night-time drives and rest breaks provide ample opportunity for effective compositions of light and shade, the image of a dramatic Kammerspiel in a confined space. (mg)