Rutger Hauer may be a perfectly nice person, and by all accounts he is, but few can pull off creepy so convincingly and so consistently as this guy. From Blade Runner to Sin City, Hauer just looks like he can peer directly into someone's soul. With over 100 films to his credit, it's tough to find a more sinister performance of his than that of John Ryder in The Hitcher. From his first moments on screen, the mere sight of Ryder is akin to having baby spiders crawling under your shirt. He just makes you uncomfortable. Less than six minutes into the film, and the protagonist knows he's screwed. As much as Jim Halsey (played by C. Thomas Howell) tries to convince himself otherwise, it doesn't take long before his initial instincts are confirmed. Ryder doesn't leave much to the imagination when he informs Jim: "I cut off his legs... and his arms... and his head, and I'm gonna do the same to you". Believe it or not, things actually go downhill from here. The next hour and twenty minutes is an sadistic guide to the many ways to mindf*** a hapless Samaritan. Unlike Henry from earlier in the list, Ryder doesn't necessarily kill because he's compelled to. He just really seems to like it. The madness culminates in an infamous scene featuring Jennifer Jason-Leigh bound between two semi trucks and our killer's foot on the clutch. I'm not even giving this one away, just go watch it.
George is a life-long fan of genre, wrestling and guitars. He is an actor, writer, CrossFit trainer and former WWE storyline writer. He currently works as talent development for PWX wrestling and resides in the birthplace of the zombie movie, Pittsburgh, PA.
