"The Hitch-Hiker" by Ida Lupino, is a 1953 independent film noir thriller as captivating today as upon its release. The film opens with a title card stating that the following events "could have happened to you", an assertion grounded in reality as the film is inspired by a real life killing spree that took place in 1950. It follows two men as they get kidnapped and try to escape a sadistic serial killer, who drives them around the US and Mexico, trying to brush off the cops. The plot is simple, yet perennially anxiety-inducing. It is short, yet intense.
"The Hitch-Hiker" holds deep cultural importance being recognized by many as the first classic film noir directed by a woman–Ida Lupino. Being an early noir film, "The Hitch-Hiker" not only exhibits characteristics of the genre we have come to love, but also have contributed in establishing them: The visual style, the psychological tension, and the use of real-life location to give an eerie faux-documentary-esque look to the film.
For any film-noir lover, this is a must see. It has all the elements we have come to expect from the genre. Great pacing, beautiful double-exposures, a thrilling score, realistic locations, and of course swirling newspapers declaring that a murderer is on the run.