Weekly Review -- A sinister remake

The Hitcher (2007) -- Remakes can often be disappointing, but they can also pleasantly surprise you. Dave Meyers' version of The Hitcher falls in the latter category. College couple Grace Andrews (Sophia Bush) and Jim Halsey (Zachary Knighton) are off for spring break. Through a set of unfortunate circumstances, they cross paths with hitchhiker John Ryder (Sean Bean), who starts framing them for murders he commits along the way. There seems to be no apparent motivation for his actions and Grace and Jim always seem to be one step behind him... While not as jadedly insidious as Hauer's portrayal, Bean's detached, impassive performance is still truly chilling. Bush makes for an effective horror heroine, especially in the last half hour; her character's transformation is impressive. The cinematography is grimy and dark; just like the original's hazy, earthy tones, this version's cinematography contributes to the ominous mood of the story. The only complaint I had was about the film's length. A few more minutes would not have hurt it, being that the movie is about 14 minutes shorter than the original in the first place. All in all, The Hitcher is much better than many remakes out there, but would have benefitted from a longer screenplay.

7/10