Directed by Eli Roth
Review based upon the Sony Blu-Ray release
When Eli Roth made “Cabin Fever” in 2002, it was pretty obvious that here was a director with a clear affiliation towards grindhouse movies; the kind that put everything on the screen and leave very little to the imagination. This is a writer and director who enjoys nothing more than pushing boundaries as well as the buttons of his audience. With his second feature “Hostel”, Roth has taken the groundwork he did in his first flick and taken it even further still.
The story concerns a group of three guys backpacking across Europe. We first meet extrovert American Paxton (Jay Hernandez), his close friend Josh (Derek Richardson), and their Icelandic travelling companion Oli (Eythor Gudjonsson) as they arrive in Amsterdam to sample all manner of local sex and drugs. Whilst there they find themselves locked out of their hostel accommodation and meet up with Alex (Lubomir Bukovy), who tells them of a place in Slovakia where the women are both willing and plentiful. The three men change their plans and travel there the next day, staying in the hostel they were recommended. Alex seems to be right and things are going well until Oli disappears under mysterious circumstances. Paxton and Josh investigate only to discover a group known as Elite Hunting, where people pay large sums of money to kill and torture unsuspecting tourists just like them…
“Hostel” is one of the most extreme movies of the last 5 years. It’s a gore-hounds wet dream, featuring everything from decapitations to dismemberment and shows it in uncompromising detail. The special effects by KNB are outstanding, especially in the
final scenes where we finally get to see what really goes on inside the Elite building.But a horror film doesn’t rely on effects alone; in order to have an impact it must have realistic characters to carry the narrative. In writing his own screenplay, Roth does tend to rely on stereotypes (especially with the three leads, who could’ve been lifted from any American teen comedy), but this arguably makes the impact even more effective as most of the audience will be able to relate to them. Paxton is especially strong, carrying the film along its bloody path thanks to a solid performance by Jay Hernandez. The rest of the cast also perform well, even though the female characters are all pretty much incidental (something Roth would seek to rectify with “Hostel: Part 2” in 2007).
“Hostel” was massively criticised on release and branded by many British newspapers as ‘torture porn’, implying that the flick has little value other than to shock and horrify. This opinion may be valid to some viewers, but actually does the whole piece a great disservice. Certainly “Hostel” is designed to appal, but it also takes an uncompromising look at the value of human life and exposes the lengths people will go to for the ultimate thrill. In addition it poses a very key genre question; if you had to fight for your life would you be able to turn the tables to save yourself? Roth not only provides a clear visual answer here, but does so in harrowing fashion as the audience is forced to watch these characters descend into physical and psychological torment.
This picture is also a clear step up from “Cabin Fever”, possibly due to the involvement of Quentin Tarantino as Executive Producer. “Hostel” has great production values, and takes its time to slowly build up to the climax everyone is waiting for. Like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, here is a flick
that actually does a great deal of its work through sound. The visuals may be brutal and nasty in places, but upon repeat viewings it’s very clear that Roth shows a lot less than you might think; most of the terror unfolds off screen until the final 25 minutes. This is why “Hostel” is disturbing to watch, as it encourages the audience to fill in the gaps using their own heads.If taken as a typical exploitation feature,“Hostel” more than delivers and provides some incredibly solid shocks, even if the subtler scares of works like “Halloween” are totally absent. But this is hardly the point; Roth uses the same method that John McNaughton used in “Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer” by forcing the audience to watch exactly what the murderer sees in order to question their own morality. To look at the picture with this context in mind takes it well beyond the media frenzy of ‘torture porn’, and allows Roth’s flick to ask the questions it wants. It may not provide all the answers, but it certainly leaves an impression that’s very hard to shake off.
Overall, “Hostel” is a throwback to the heady days of the 1970s, and enables the director to throw everything he can at the screen without compromise. An occasionally nauseating watch, Eli Roth demonstrates great talent in a genre that he clearly adores. With his next effort “Hostel: Part 2” he would take the same concept in a different direction, and show a great deal of sophistication as well as an even greater ability to shock.
7.5 out of 10
Uncompromising, butual, vicious and honest… this is definitely not a movie for the squeamish, but it has a clear moral message that can’t be ignored
