Hitch Hike

Walter Mancini, an alcoholic reporter, and his wife Eve are on a long road trip back to Los Angeles with a trailer in tow. The couple's strained relationship and Walter's drinking create a tense mood before any danger arrives. They set out with the promise of a destination, unaware that their journey will be hijacked.

They pick up Adam Konitz, a hitchhiker who reveals himself as a sadistic escapee from an asylum and a man on the run after a two million dollar robbery. Konitz asserts control and immediately targets Eve, ordering her to drive toward Mexico. Walter and Eve realize they have become hostages in a deadly game.

The trio is halted by two police officers while on the road. Walter tries to signal for help by writing SOS on his matchbox, but Konitz shoots the officers, eliminating witnesses and raising the stakes. The couple is suddenly deeper inside a dangerous situation with no easy exit.

During a night stop, Konitz's two partners ambush him, shoot at him, and seize control of the money and the car. They decide to keep the Mancinis alive until they reach the Mexican border, turning the couple into bargaining chips. Trust collapses as the landscape of crime tightens around them.

While driving, the group is attacked by a driver in a truck. The attacker turns out to be Konitz, who has survived the earlier ambush and uses the moment to kill his former partners. He regains control of the situation and re-captures the Mancinis.

At a secluded location, Konitz strips Eve and rapes her, forcing Walter to watch the brutal act. The violence leaves the couple traumatized and demonstrates Konitz's absolute ruthlessness. Their sense of safety dissolves entirely as they face a new level of danger.

Konitz is about to kill Walter when Eve shoots him with Walter's hunting rifle. Konitz dies from the shot, and the immediate threat to Walter is removed. Yet the couple remains entangled in the loot and the memories of the violence they endured.

Despite Eve's objections, Walter decides to keep the two million dollars instead of turning it over to authorities. He rationalizes that the money is needed to secure their future, and the crime they faced is now overshadowed by greed. The loot becomes the driving motive for the remaining events.

The four young motorcyclists they had met at a gas station pass them and pour oil on the road. The slick causes the Mancinis' car to crash off the highway, turning their escape into a life threatening disaster. Eve is badly hurt and pleads for help as the situation grows increasingly desperate.

One of the motorcyclists pockets three hundred dollars from Walter, but leaves the suitcase containing the two million dollars untouched in the back seat. The thieves ride away, leaving the couple to face the wreck and their looming fate. The money's existence remains a tantalizing yet dangerous prize.

With Eve dying from her injuries, Walter drags Konitz's body from the trailer and places it at the accident scene to mislead rescuers. He tells a silent lie about the supposed help from outsiders, maintaining the illusion to any onlookers. The deception highlights Walter's moral collapse in the wake of the chaos.

The dying Eve listens as Walter admits that the supposed helpers actually aided him and that his original plan was to stop after a short distance, kill her, and stage the crash as an accident. The confession exposes the depth of Walter's greed and his willingness to betray Eve for the loot.

Walter lights a cigarette, sets the car and trailer on fire, and begins to walk away from the wreck. Hearing a car approach, he thumbs a ride, leaving the wreck and the loot behind as he steps into an uncertain future. The scene ends on a bleak, open note.