A delivery man’s twisted obsession turns the open road into a nightmare for hitchhiking runaways.
HITCH HIKE TO HELL
There is no such thing as a free ride!!
Howard is a mild-mannered young man who drives a truck for a commercial laundry. He's also a mother-obsessed psycho who picks up young female hitchhikers, rapes them and kills them. As the bodies start piling up, the police finally begin to investigate.
Quick Answer
Hitch Hike to Hell is a 1977 American crime and mystery film directed by Irvin Berwick about a mild-mannered delivery driver whose encounters with female hitchhikers trigger a violent spree rooted in his troubled family past.
Programmer's Pick
If you think laundry day is hell, try it with Howard behind the wheel. This is exploitation cinema that doesn’t shy away from its sleazy premise, stacking up bodies and psychological baggage with every roadside pickup.
— SassyFlix Programmer
Overview
Cast & Crew
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Why Cult
Howard’s day job as a laundry truck driver doubles as the perfect cover for his violent impulses, making mundane suburbia feel downright lethal.
The film leans hard into the twisted dynamic between Howard and his overbearing mother, with his crimes sparked by deep-seated family trauma.
Teenage hitchhikers and runaways become the focal point of Howard’s mania, highlighting the perils lurking on America’s highways in the late 1970s.
Gritty, sleazy, and unflinching, this film embodies the exploitation genre with its blend of sex, violence, and social anxiety.
Scene Gallery
Threat File
Runaway hitchhikers expressing hatred for their mothers
Howard's violent, psychotic outbursts
Rape and murder of female hitchhikers
Suburban delivery routes and highways
Questions from the Vault
When was Hitch Hike to Hell released? +
Hitch Hike to Hell was released in 1977.
Who directed Hitch Hike to Hell? +
Hitch Hike to Hell was directed by Irvin Berwick.
How long is Hitch Hike to Hell? +
Hitch Hike to Hell has a runtime of 88 minutes.
What genre is Hitch Hike to Hell? +
Hitch Hike to Hell is a crime and mystery film.
Where can I watch Hitch Hike to Hell? +
You can watch Hitch Hike to Hell on SassyFlix.
What triggers Howard’s violent outbursts against hitchhikers? +
Howard is pushed into a murderous frenzy whenever a hitchhiker confesses she hates her mother, drawing on his unresolved trauma over his sister’s disappearance and his mother’s controlling nature.
How does Howard cover his crimes while working as a delivery man? +
Howard’s job as a laundry delivery driver allows him to pick up victims without arousing immediate suspicion, though his boss starts to notice missed deliveries and late arrivals.
