The Hitcher

No one’s ever going to outcreep original thumb rider Rutger Hauer, certainly not The Lord of the Rings’ blandly rugged Sean Bean. But the sins of this Michael Bay--produced remake go much deeper. Eric Red’s sturdy genre script from 1986 has been diluted in the worst way possible. What was once a clever psychothriller about the split male mind has become—shudder—an MTV-ready chick flick starring the unconvincingly empowered Sophia Bush (the CW’s One Tree Hill). Even when cocking a 12-gauge, she seems a little lost. (Now playing; Click here for venues.) — Joshua Rothkopf