1953 / 71m - USA
Crime, Thriller
1.0*/5.0*
The Hitch-Hiker poster

Watches

February 06, 2021

1.0*/5.0*

A very stale and bare-bones noir. The title gives you a pretty good idea of what the plot's about, the rest of the film (which luckily isn't all that long) rests on three underperforming actors who never manage to draw any real tension from their predicament. It's a bit baffling this is considered a bona fide classic (though I assume it's somewhat related to Lapino's status).

Roy and Gilbert are two jolly guys on their way to Arizona, where they've planned a calming fishing trip for themselves. On their way there they pick up a hitch-hiker and guess what ... the guy's not as friendly as he appeared. He's a psychotic killer trying to stay out of the hands of the police.

The wooden performances really hurt the film, the cinematography is very dull, the plot is incredibly predictable and the only real reason to cheer for the good guys is to get the film over with quicker. It's short, but it's anything but snappy and even for a classic noir the pacing is sluggish. Not good at all.