Blue-collar Jim Halsey picks his girlfriend up from college and the two of them are heading back home when they come into contact with a hitcher who very quickly turns out to be a psychopathic killer. And, with that, yet another classic film gets unnecessarily remade by Hollywood.

The plot is simple: As more and more murders unrealistically pile up, it becomes apparent that an entire state's worth of Troopers can't take down a man armed with only a knife. That means it's all up to the hot chick.

The leads are ably played, although Sean Bean's interpretation of hitcher John Ryder (Get it? Ryder?) seems unfocused. Rutger Hauer's Ryder in the original film is tired and wants to die; Bean just wants to fuck with people. It's a lost subtlety that diminishes the overall impact of this version.

To be fair, the original film (as this is so closely shot, it's impossible to not compare the two) had its own share of unbelievable moments, but when you consider that Hauer's Ryder is grooming Jim to be his murderer, the lapses make sense: He needs Jim alive. To lose that tiredness, that look of defeat so palpable in Hauer's performance, means the new version becomes even more unbelievable.

Of course, there needs to be some differences to justify a remake (unless you're Gus Van Sant), so they make Jim's girlfriend Grace the heroine. And, aside from (and I can't believe I'm saying this) some unnecessary gore, that's pretty much it.

Take the bus instead.

Pros: Sean Bean may be skilled and interesting to watch...
Cons: ...but he's too good for this film. Overall, "The Hitcher (2007)" is pointless and devoid of any kind of subtext, which is deadly considering it presents itself as more of a psychological thriller than a slasher flick.
Review Rating: 5 out of 10 deleted endings on the DVD that would have been more poignant that the actual “oh, come ON!” ending that remained.