Skillfully made...but basically this is a movie that traffics in sadism as much as its villains do, and your reaction to it will pretty much depend on how you feel about that.
Hostel (2006)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:97
Fresh:57
Rotten:40
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: Featuring lots of guts and gore, Hostel is a wildly entertaining corpse-filled journey -- assuming one is entertained by corpses, guts, and gore, that is.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for brutal scenes of torture and violence, strong sexual content, language and drug use.
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Theatrical Release:Jan 6, 2006 Wide
Box Office: $47,277,326
Synopsis: The hallowed tradition of the post-college European backpacking trip turns into an unimaginable nightmare for two unsuspecting American 20-somethings in Eli Roth's (CABIN FEVER) sensational second... The hallowed tradition of the post-college European backpacking trip turns into an unimaginable nightmare for two unsuspecting American 20-somethings in Eli Roth's (CABIN FEVER) sensational second outing. Paxton (Jay Hernandez) and Josh (Derek Richardson) have embarked upon a hedonistic tour of the continent, and somewhere along the way they picked up an Icelandic lunk named Oli (Eythor Gudjonsson). In Amsterdam the trio partakes of the pastimes most dear to frat boys everywhere: weed, prostitutes, and nightclubs. But when a fellow traveler tells these thrill-seekers about the decadent scene that awaits them in Bratislava, they find themselves unable to resist its lures; enticed by the promise of a hostel full of beautiful girls who love Americans, they set out for the remote areas of Eastern Europe. There, the sex farce to which the film's first half is devoted slowly turns ominous, as the boys hook up immediately with the gorgeous Natalya (Barbara Nedeljakova) and Svetlana (Jana Kaderabkova), whose eagerness masks more sinister intentions. Soon, the disagreeable backpackers find themselves on the other side of the flesh trade, sold by the girls into an exclusive human trafficking operation that gives its customers the opportunity to torture and kill a helpless victim. Much of what follows consists of the squirm-inducing surgical horrors that characterize precursors such as SAW, with the implications regarding the capitalist system and the human soul becoming ever darker. Produced by Quentin Tarantino, the film amps up the gore factor as much as it can get away with, and, in the tradition of the best horror films, offers a satirical socially conscious commentary. [More]
Starring: Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Lenka Vlasakova, Shane Daly
Starring: Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Lenka Vlasakova, Shane Daly, Jan Vlasak, Eythor Gudjonsson
Director: Eli Roth
Director: Eli Roth
Composer: Nathan Barr
Studio: Lions Gate Films
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Reviews for Hostel
...nothing but a reined in gorefest for aficionados of torture,, and even they won't be happy until the director's cut DVD is issued.
Even if this type of entertainment doesn't entertain you, ya gotta admit, it's pretty slickly done.
Occasionally, the film even cuts beneath the skin (thematically), but don't expect enough political subtext to distract genre fans or to convince the uninitiated of its merits
Let's hope 2006's first horror film isn't an indication of where the genre is going this year.
I may not get the DVD for the sake of the film, but rather to show my kids and dissuade them from ever backpacking across Europe.
A thrilling high-water mark for an inherently dumb sub-genre, and that's only back-handed praise to those who wouldn't have even considered buying a ticket.
The PR hype machine loves Eli Roth, and I'm sure he loves it right back.
Roth doesn't know when to leave well enough alone. Piling the gore on without benefit of artful tension, the film ends up approaching parody.
Even though Hostel is certainly better than last year's Saw II, it's ultimately not very frightening -- just plain gross.
It's the kind of film where you avert your eyes from the screen only to have your curiosity force them back to the sheer brutality of the action.
It's a clip reel of sicko tableaus. The torture scenes are inventively disgusting, but the narrative linking one murder to the next is sketchy.
Latest News for Hostel
June 30, 2008:
A Writer/Director for Hostel III? ![]()
It looks like Scott Spiegel will be taking over for Eli Roth where Hostel III is concerned -- and it also looks like the sequel will be heading straight to video. More...
June 24, 2008:
Eli Roth Won't Write, Direct Hostel III ![]()
Looks like a third Hostel movie is officially on the way -- and it'll arrive without Eli Roth writing or directing. More...
April 24, 2008:
Eli Roth Going "Big-Budget, PG-13" ![]()
For his next film, Hostel director Eli Roth is trading in horror for a sci-fi action project said to be inspired by Cloverfield and Transformers. More...
January 22, 2008:
I Know Who Killed Me, Norbit, Daddy Day Camp Lead Razzie Noms
No awards season -- even a strike-tainted one -- would be complete without the Razzies, right? Of course not. And that's why we've thoughtfully assembled all of this year's... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
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