Movies Like The Hitcher (1986)

The Hitcher is a 1986 action, horror, thriller film from Robert Harmon with a MovieMagicScore of 7.0/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting and Thelma & Louise.

Action Horror Thriller

The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting

2003

A sadistic serial killer terrorizes a couple driving on a rural highway in Texas while killing numerous people and framing them for his killings.

4.7

MagicScore

Thelma & Louise

1991

Taking a break from their dreary lives, close friends Thelma and Louise embark on a short weekend trip that ends in unforeseen incriminating circumstances. As fugitives, both women rediscover the strength of their bond and their newfound resilience.

7.6

MagicScore

Death Proof

2007

Austin's hottest DJ, Jungle Julia, sets out into the night to unwind with her two friends Shanna and Arlene. Covertly tracking their moves is Stuntman Mike, a scarred rebel leering from behind the wheel of his muscle car, revving just feet away.

6.8

MagicScore

The Hitcher

2007

While driving through the New Mexico Desert during a rainy night, college students Jim Halsey and his girlfriend Grace Andrews give a ride to a hitchhiker. While in their car, the stranger proves to be a psychopath threatening the young couple with a knife, but Jim successfully throws him out of the car. This sets off a chain of events that will change all of their lives forever.

5.9

MagicScore

Kalifornia

1993

A journalist duo go on a tour of serial killer murder sites with two companions, unaware that one of them is a serial killer himself.

6.6

MagicScore

Breakdown

1997

On their cross-country drive, a married couple, Jeff and Amy Taylor, experience car trouble after their SUV breaks down. Stranded in the New Mexico desert, the two catch a break when a passing truck driver offers Amy a ride to a nearby café to call for help. Meanwhile, Jeff is able to fix the car and make his way to the café, but Amy isn't there. He tracks down the trucker ― who tells the police he's never seen Jeff or his wife before. Jeff then begins a desperate, frenzied search for Amy.

6.9

MagicScore

Nature of the Beast

1995

Two men, both hiding a deadly secret, are on a murderous rampage through the desert.

5.9

MagicScore

The Road Killers

1994

After a young boy is almost runover by a maniac on a highway, a re-encounter and confrontation by the boy's father with the driver sets off conflicts with a car full of maniacs.

5.4

MagicScore

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

1998

Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo drive a red convertible across the Mojave desert to Las Vegas with a suitcase full of drugs to cover a motorcycle race. As their consumption of drugs increases at an alarming rate, the stoned duo trash their hotel room and fear legal repercussions. Duke begins to drive back to L.A., but after an odd run-in with a cop, he returns to Sin City and continues his wild drug binge.

7.2

MagicScore

#10

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

2006

Chrissie and her friends set out on a road trip for a final fling before one is shipped off to Vietnam. Along the way, bikers harass the foursome and cause an accident that throws Chrissie from the vehicle. The lawman who arrives on the scene kills one of the bikers and brings Chrissie's friends to the Hewitt homestead, where young Leatherface is learning the tools of terror.

6.2

MagicScore

#11

Con Air

1997

Newly-paroled former US Army ranger Cameron Poe is headed back to his wife, but must fly home aboard a prison transport flight dubbed "Jailbird" taking the “worst of the worst” prisoners, a group described as “pure predators”, to a new super-prison. Poe faces impossible odds when the transport plane is skyjacked mid-flight by the most vicious criminals in the country led by the mastermind — genius serial killer Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom, and backed by black militant Diamond Dog and psychopath Billy Bedlam.

6.8

MagicScore

#12

Transit

2012

Nate takes his family for a camping trip to reconnect. When they pull off at a rest stop, a gang of thieves hides their stash from an armored car robbery among the family belongings. They soon find themselves on the run and the gang will stop at nothing to get their money back.

5.7

MagicScore

#13

The Sadist

1963

Three people driving into Los Angeles for a Dodgers game have car trouble and pull off into an old wrecking yard where they are held at bay by a bloodthirsty psycho and his crazy girlfriend.

6.3

MagicScore

#14

Convoy

1978

Trucker Rubber Duck and his buddies Pig Pen, Widow Woman and Spider Mike use their CB radios to warn one another of the presence of cops. But conniving Sheriff Wallace is hip to the truckers' tactics, and begins tricking the drivers through his own CB broadcasts. Facing constant harassment from the law, Rubber Duck and his pals use their radios to coordinate a vast convoy and rule the road.

6.3

MagicScore

#15

Dirty Harry

1971

When a madman dubbed 'Scorpio' terrorizes San Francisco, hard-nosed cop, Harry Callahan – famous for his take-no-prisoners approach to law enforcement – is tasked with hunting down the psychopath.

7.5

MagicScore

#16

The Devil's Rejects

2005

The murderous, backwoods Firefly family take to the road to escape the vengeful Sheriff Wydell, who is not afraid of being as ruthless as his target.

6.8

MagicScore

#17

Revenge

2018

Jen's romantic getaway with her wealthy married boyfriend is disrupted when his friends arrive for an impromptu hunting trip. Tension mounts at the house until the situation culminates in an unexpected way.

6.5

MagicScore

#18

Duel

1971

Traveling businessman David Mann angers the driver of a rusty tanker while crossing the California desert. A simple trip turns deadly, as Mann struggles to stay on the road while the tanker plays cat and mouse with his life.

7.4

MagicScore

#19

The Wizard of Oz

1925

A farm girl learns she is a princess and is swept away by a tornado to the land of Oz.

5.4

MagicScore

#20

Coming Home in the Dark

2021

A school teacher is forced to confront a brutal act from his past when a pair of ruthless drifters takes him and his family on a nightmare road-trip.

5.7

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like The Hitcher?

The top films similar to The Hitcher by MovieMagicScore are The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting (4.7), Thelma & Louise (7.6), Death Proof (6.8). Each shares action/horror/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is The Hitcher worth watching?

The Hitcher holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.0/10 from 996 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is The Hitcher?

The Hitcher (1986) is a action, horror, thriller film directed by Robert Harmon, starring Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell, Jeffrey DeMunn.

Where can I find more recommendations like The Hitcher?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more action recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting Movies like Thelma & Louise Movies like Death Proof Movies like The Hitcher Movies like Kalifornia Movies like Breakdown

About movies like The Hitcher

This ranked list pairs The Hitcher (1986), a action and horror and thriller film from Robert Harmon, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Rutger Hauer take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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