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THE HITCH-HIKER

1953

Ida Lupino

The Hitch-Hiker

SYNOPSIS

Two friends on a fishing trip make a fatal mistake by picking up a stranded motorist who turns out to be a sadistic serial killer fleeing the police. Held at gunpoint, they drive across the Mexican desert while the psychopath plays twisted mind games. Ida Lupino, the only woman to direct a classic noir, crafted this tense, claustrophobic thriller based on true events. It remains a gritty, efficient study of masculinity under extreme duress.

CRITIQUE

Ida Lupino’s The Hitch-Hiker is a landmark as the first film noir directed by a woman. It strips away the genre's glamour—femme fatales and city shadows—for the stark brutality of the desert sunlight. Based on a true spree killer, it offers a terrifyingly realistic portrayal of random violence and psychological torture. Lupino focuses on the fragile masculinity of the victims rather than the killer’s coolness. It is a tense, efficient thriller that broke barriers for female directors, proving they could handle gritty, violent subject matter with masterful control.

SCREENING AVAILABILITY

  • Theatrical screenings

  • Non-theatrical screenings

  • Festivals and cinematheques

  • Educational screenings

  • Television broadcasting

  • Digital platforms and streaming

  • Promotional and editorial use

  • Licensing of graphic and visual materials

AVAILABLE FORMATS

  • DCP

  • DCP with subtitles

  • Apple ProRes

  • MP4 Screening File

  • MP4 Rehearsal Copy for Musicians (silent films)

  • Blu-ray

  • High-resolution archival masters

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

  • Posters

  • Press stills

  • Promotional assets

  • Screening support materials

AVAILABLE SUBTITLES

  • English

  • Spanish

  • French

  • Portuguese

  • Italian

  • German

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