Is The Hitcher (1986) streaming?

The Hitcher (1986)'s US theatrical release date is January 17, 1986. No digital rental, streaming or physical release date has been announced.

How many jump scares are in The Hitcher (1986)?

The Hitcher (1986) has 11 jump scares, based on its logged jump-scare count.

Who is in the cast of The Hitcher (1986)?

Rutger Hauer plays John Ryder, C. Thomas Howell plays Jim Halsey, Jennifer Jason Leigh plays Nash, Jeffrey DeMunn plays Captain Esteridge, Billy Green Bush plays Trooper Donner, John M. Jackson plays Sergeant Starr, Henry Darrow plays Trooper Hancock, Jon Van Ness plays Trooper Hapscomb.

What are some films like The Hitcher (1986)?

Films similar to The Hitcher (1986) on Watch Darkly include The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), Joy Ride (2001), The Hills Have Eyes (1977), selected by shared themes and tags plus the curator scoring across fear, gore, atmosphere, intensity, and overall quality.

Metadata and artwork from TMDB. Not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

Survival

The Hitcher

1986 · R · 1h 38m

The terror starts the moment he stops.

Release & where to watch

In theaters: January 17, 1986

Where to watchUS, as of Sep 15, 2026

Included with a subscription: Cinemax Amazon ChannelCinemax Apple TV channel
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Curator Score

No Curator Score yet for The Hitcher. A Curator Score appears once one of our curators has rated it. How we score

Jump scares

The Hitcher has 11 jump scares. Compare counts

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Where does it land for you?

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Didn't workOne of the greats

Tap the bar for a whole number, drag it for halves. The full scorecard — fear, gore, atmosphere, intensity — is further down.

On a stormy night, young Jim, who transports a luxury car from Chicago to California to deliver it to its owner, feeling tired and sleepy, picks up a mysterious hitchhiker, who has appeared out of nowhere, thinking that a good conversation will help him not to fall asleep. He will have enough time to deeply regret such an unmeditated decision.

Plot summary via TMDB

Genres

horroractionthriller