10 MORE Horror Movies You Knew Would Be Good After The First 10 Minutes

10. The Hitcher

Even though the "evil drifter" trope is nothing new, few stories have utilised the idea more effectively than 1986's The Hitcher.

Robert Harmon's thriller introduces deranged hitchhiker John Ryder (Rutger Hauer) within the first minute. After being picked up by young driver Jim Halsey, John immediately makes Jim feel uncomfortable with his opaque answers and flippant attitude.

When Jim asks what John wants, he laughs manically, before saying those chilling words, "That's what the other guy said." With that single sentence, the audience realises John is slaughtering anyone foolish enough to let him in their vehicle. Worse still, Jim is intended to be the vagrant's latest victim.

As uncomfortable as this moment is, it only gets worse, since every word uttered by Ryder makes him sound more unhinged. When he starts talking about popping eyeballs and lopping off limbs, viewers feel just as unsettled as the protagonist.

The set-up couldn't be simpler, but Hauer's charming performance makes the scene riveting from beginning to end. Rather than hamming it up, the Blade Runner actor says every line with casual delight, which is far more unnerving.