Even though he had appeared in various films in Europe for a decade, it wasn’t until his remarkable role in 1982’s Blade Runner that Rutger Hauer became an international star.

He followed it up with some interesting projects in the US, but made another striking performance four years later in the tense indie thriller The Hitcher, released here in 4K.

Travelling from Chicago to San Diego in a rideaway is Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell). It’s a long, cross country journey for the young man, so when he’s in Texas, he decides to pull over onto the side of the road and pick up a hitchhiker in the pouring rain.

He’s expecting a little company to keep him awake, especially along the empty desert roads, but he gets more than he bargains for when John Ryder (Hauer) sits in his passenger seat.

It’s not long into their journey that Jim regrets his decision, but what’s done is done, now he has to work out to get rid of his unwanted companion, before it’s too late.

It was Robert Harmon’s directorial debut, based on his short China Lake (featured on this disc), and it’s still to date his most successful film.

It captures a curious dynamic, of a hunter and his prey, which also takes on overtones of a paternal relationship, which grows ever stronger throughout.

Although only seventeen at the time, Howell had already appeared in E.T and The outsiders and took the role after Matthew Modine passed. It must have been quite daunting for the young actor, not only having to carry the film as the main protagonist, but also square up against the formidable Hauer on a regular basis. He manages to carry himself remarkably well throughout however, as Hauer’s character forces his to become another version of himself.

Hauer is sensational as the demented Ryder; he has an end game that he needs help in fulfilling, and Jim becomes the pawn to make it a reality, whatever the cost. There is an element of his Blade Runner character at play here, as a handsome man with an agenda that won’t be welcomed by all.

It is a film that predates CGI, and it benefits from it greatly. The organic nature of the stunt work is hugely rewarding, albeit a tad far-fetched at times.

As far as the restoration is concerned, it’s patchy at best. The night and indoor scenes suffer the most from obtrusive screen noise, which prove fairly distracting, especially as its looks impressive with exterior day shots.

There are a number of interesting extras included, as well as the aforementioned short, there are also two interesting interviews with both Howell and director Harmon on working on this classic.

It’s a road flick, it’s a psychological thriller, and still very much a riveting watch, that remains the perfect advert for not picking up strangers, even if they do look like Rutger Hauer.