Highwaymen (2004)

13% of critics liked it
(15 reviews)
41% of users liked it
(5,633 ratings)

Following up the 2002 horror flick Wes Craven Presents: They, director Robert Harmon took on this cat-and-mouse thriller written by Craig Mitchell and Hans Bauer, the writing team behind 1999's Komodo. Jim Caviezel stars as Rennie, a man who suddenly finds his life destroyed by tragedy when his wife… More Following up the 2002 horror flick Wes Craven Presents: They, director Robert Harmon took on this cat-and-mouse thriller written by Craig Mitchell and Hans Bauer, the writing team behind 1999's Komodo. Jim Caviezel stars as Rennie, a man who suddenly finds his life destroyed by tragedy when his wife is murdered by a mysterious serial killer (Colm Feore). The culprit, it seems, is a psychopath with a penchant for hunting down and killing random women, using his green 1972 Cadillac El Dorado as his weapon. With revenge on his mind, Rennie sets out on the road in search of the elusive car and its homicidal driver. Along the way, Rennie meets a singer named Molly (Rhona Mitra) who suddenly finds herself embroiled in his unending quest for retribution. Frankie Faison also stars. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 18 min.
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Horror, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Feb 13, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Aug 24, 2004
Studio: New Line Cinema

Critic Reviews

Gary Dowell, Dallas Morning News
Painted in shades of Mad Max, Duel, Crash and The Driver, Highwaymen is so derivative that it constantly reminds you of better films as it spits out a barrage of sound and fury.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Personagens detestáveis em um filme medíocre que ainda conta com uma conclusão moralmente desprezível. Uma experiência tão ruim quanto ser atropelado - talvez pior.
David Cornelius, eFilmCritic.com
If you're looking for a long, solid laugh, Highwaymen will do the trick.
Mark Collette, Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas)
Elicits groans and the wrong kind of laughter.
Anna Smith, Empire Magazine
Both the well-choreographed crash scenes and the gritty cinematography hint at a better film. Shame no-one took the time to make it.
Jamie Russell, BBC
As car wrecks go, Highwaymen is a five-lane pileup on the freeway to hell.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
We know exactly what the filmmakers are trying to do, and with the exception of the truly awful dialog, at least they do it efficiently.
Jerry Renshaw, Reel.com
Delivers plenty of scares, wince-inducing scenes and indie-film stylistic fillips.
Marc Savlov, Austin Chronicle
Lacks the sprawling, Westernized mythos of The Hitcher and feels, in the end, like a previously owned nightmare sorely in need of a new universal hell joint.
Boo Allen, Denton Record Chronicle (TX)
Jim Caviezel couldn't look more ridiculous even if he spoke Aramaic and wore a crown of thorns. Oh, wait. . .
Robert Wilonsky, Dallas Observer
Highwaymen has no interest in fleshing out its story; it's all bone, no meat, save for what ends up on the asphalt.
Scott Von Doviak, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The cars get to have all the fun, and they don't have nearly enough of it.

Read all 12 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lady D

A pretty decent Thriller which has it?s tense moments. A bit of a ?Death Proof? meets ?Crash? meets ?Death Wish? kind of film, with one man out for revenge, a half man, half mechanical killer and a victim playing bait. The film did lack in explanation for motive I felt, but did… More
A pretty decent Thriller which has it?s tense moments. A bit of a ?Death Proof? meets ?Crash? meets ?Death Wish? kind of film, with one man out for revenge, a half man, half mechanical killer and a victim playing bait. The film did lack in explanation for motive I felt, but did offer a unique kind of killer. Another to add to my Serial Killer list
Wahida K

When murder is no accident, revenge is no crime.
Arash X

You've already seen this before even seeing it
Jason S

I liked the idea of the movie and the look of the film worked well with the mood and the story.
Dean M

Fine thriller on the highway, in the tradition of The Hitcher.
Daniel P

Highwaymen starts out as an interesting, sort-of cross between David Cronenberg's Crash and Steven Spielberg's Duel. Rennie (James Caviezel) is a man on a mission to avenge the murder of his wife, who was the victim of… More
Highwaymen starts out as an interesting, sort-of cross between David Cronenberg's Crash and Steven Spielberg's Duel. Rennie (James Caviezel) is a man on a mission to avenge the murder of his wife, who was the victim of a serial killer who mows down women in his Cadillac Eldorado. Rennie, who has been following the killer, a disabled psychopath called Fargo who has custom rigged his car to make it the ultimate killing machine, finally begins to make some ground when he crosses paths with 'haunted beauty' Molly (played rather anonymously by Rhona Mitra), Fargo's latest would-be victim. Together they set about to stop Fargo from killing once and for all. There are some great individual scenes to Highwaymen that make it watchable despite the 'schlockiness' of it all: The stand-out car crash scene in a tunnel is very well staged, with a fantastic, almost surreal moment where a car skids first past a wheelchair and then an escaped horse that seems to appear from nowhere. A scene where Molly's car is rammed into at high speed making it flip into the air, before landing upside-down, catching on fire, and then being towed to Fargo's Cadillac and racing at high-speed is stunning. The flashbacks that tie-up the opening prologue are imbued with a blue/silver color scheme and punctuated with stills and fast-cuts and are beautiful to look at, and show some of the skill behind the camera. The glimpses of the serial killer's mechanical limbs as he shifts gear and the almost fetishistic quality of the car itself are also very effective. Unfortunately, the film falls apart in it's third act with the full reveal of Fargo, which makes what has come before seem even sillier than it is, and for an R-rated movie from the director of the brutal The Hitcher, Highwaymen doesn't have the guts to deliver fully on its visceral potential, making it rather disappointing in the end.
Curt C

If I wasn't watching this with somebody and making fun of it, it would have only lasted half an hour. Normal people don't talk this way. This redefines bad dialogue. However, I have to admit upon reflection that stuff is always happening and this gains a star for being… More
If I wasn't watching this with somebody and making fun of it, it would have only lasted half an hour. Normal people don't talk this way. This redefines bad dialogue. However, I have to admit upon reflection that stuff is always happening and this gains a star for being entertainingly bad at times.
Adam M

Revenge thriller. When James Caviezel's wife gets murdered by a hit-and-run driver he gets revenge but its not over when a few years later it seems somebody has been murdering women in the same way, this time targetting sexy choir singer Rhona Mitra. Our man James(can't… More
Revenge thriller. When James Caviezel's wife gets murdered by a hit-and-run driver he gets revenge but its not over when a few years later it seems somebody has been murdering women in the same way, this time targetting sexy choir singer Rhona Mitra. Our man James(can't remember his characters name, sorry!) decides the best way to catch the mental driver is to use Mitra as bait. A cat-and-mouse style thriller ensues with plenty of tension throughout with cool car chases and confrontations and stuff. Also, at an hour and 20 minutes Highwaymen doesn't outstay its welcome making it an enjoyable burst of adrenaline.
The S

James Caviezel impresses in a car movie that is sometimes exciting but low on substance.