Hostel
Written and Directed by: Eli Roth
Starring: Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Eythor Gudjonsson, Jan Vlasak

Although Eli Roth’s 2003 debut film “Cabin Fever” received mixed reviews, it certainly left an impression on me. Not only was it a fun throwback to the teen gore films of the 80’s, but it was filled with a bizarre and campy sense of humour that completely caught me off guard. At the very least, it proved to be much more original than the Evil Dead clone everyone assumed it would be. I anxiously awaited his next film to see what this creative young director would do for an encore.

Now comes “Hostel”, another movie guaranteed to get people talking, and one that firmly establishes Roth as a skilled filmmaker with a unique and twisted vision. Having caught the attention of Mr. Quentin Tarantino, he took this film under his wing and decided to slap his name on it in order to help get it into more theatres. Do realize, this is not a Tarantino film, so don’t expect Kill Bill Vol. 3 here. What is probably likely to get even more people into seats, however, is the reputation that this movie has gained for being a brutal, violent bloodbath, even reportedly causing some people to pass out in the theater. This movie has become almost a test of one’s mettle, a must-see event just because of how much it pushes the envelope.

A pair of American friends are on a backpacking trip in Europe, along with a traveller from Iceland that they met on the trip who tags along with them. They are enjoying what Europe has to offer, mainly in terms of sex and drugs, travelling from country to country looking for the best party they can find. In Amsterdam they get locked out of their hostel (arriving late past curfew) and end up crashing with a strange guy who tells them about a legendary hostel in Slovakia with an unlimited supply of beautiful and willing women. Of course, they can’t resist the draw of such a thing, and head out of their way to find it. At first it appears to be a paradise like nothing they could have imagined, but when their friends start disappearing, they begin to realize something else is going on. The locals may not be as warm and welcoming as they originally thought.

Truth be told, Hostel is not quite as brutal and sadistic as some people claim. This is not 90 minutes of human torture (go see The Passion of The Christ if you want that); rather, the gore comes in quick spurts (pun intended), short scenes that will disturb you but never stretch on too long. There are of course, some pretty unpleasant images in this film, and if you are uncomfortable with dismemberment, you might not want to subject yourself to it. Still, the violence is not exploitative or unnecessary — it realizes your fears and then helps you conquer them in a way. Without spoiling anything, let me just assure you that the movie doesn’t take you down into the darkness and leave you there, but instead offers a sort of uneasy vindication by the end.

Although some of the marketing for this movie also seemed to place it in the realm of “Saw”, it really is a very different kind of movie. This is not a police thriller with a serial killer on the loose. Hostel also does not provide quite as many outright scares, instead choosing to slowly surround you with a sense of dread before confronting you in a visceral way. This is a real white-knuckle suspense film, one that in my opinion is much more effective than Saw. (It helps that the acting was decent as well.)

Contrary to “Cabin Fever”, Hostel is a lot darker and more serious in its tone. Roth has dropped some of his campiness, and although there is some comic relief early on, it’s not actually very funny.

I think one of the things that makes this movie so effective is the fears that it plays off of. As they say, good horror movies are never just horror movies, and Hostel brilliantly taps into American paranoia about how the rest of the world perceives them, not to mention the apprehension of travelling abroad in foreign countries and facing the unknown. I can definitely see a drop off in American backpackers in Europe over the next couple years as a result of this film (especially Slovakia)… it’s that realistic and powerful. People should keep in mind that this is not based on a true story, despite the believability with which Roth constructs such a nightmare.

The more I think about this movie, the more I appreciate it. It’s hard to say you enjoyed something like this without sounding like a freak, but as a horror movie it’s one of the most unsettling things I’ve seen in a long time, and also one of the most original concepts. It manipulates the audience so deftly, taking them for a hell of a ride. The only real criticism I have is the beginning of the movie which seems to drag on a little too long with too many gratuitious scenes of nudity and sex. It was good at taking your mind off what the movie would eventually become, and aided the slow building of terror, but it still felt a little too male-centric and immature.

Hostel is certainly not for everyone, and I can see it coming under criticism for a number of things. But the bottom line is that this is a horror movie and it does a great job of freaking you out. It is grisly and disturbing, but not without purpose, and if you think you can stomach it I highly recommend it. — Sean

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Recommended If You Like: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, The Devil's Rejects, Audition

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