Summary
The firstHostelmovie is severely underrated and doesn’t deserve to be grouped in with the much poorer films that came after it. I’ve frequently professed my love of all things horror, whether they be monster movies, slashers, psychological thrillers, or any other genre, and I stand by that. However, I’ll admit, that when torture became a core conceit of horror in the early 2000s, my patience waned. Despite my distaste, I went backto watch Eli Roth’sHosteland realized there was a lot more to it than I was giving it credit for.
Hostelreleased in the United States in 2006 and followed a group of tourists in Europe who are kidnapped in Slovakia and taken to a secret facility where wealthy clients pay exorbitant amounts of money to torture innocent people in the worst ways imaginable. Made on a piecemeal budget,Hostelended up earning $82 million at the box office (viaBox Office Mojo) and received a 59% onRotten Tomatoes.That’s higher acclaim and appreciation than most fans may have expected, considering the discourse surrounding theHostelfranchise.
Hostel’s Alternate Ending Explained: Why It Was Cut
Eli Roth’s 2006 horror film Hostel is already extremely dark, as is its conclusion, but the alternate ending makes things that much more harrowing.
Hostel Is Actually A Great Movie Despite Its Graphic Gore & Torture Scenes
Eli Roth’s Movie Is A Thrilling Tale Even Without The Violence
One of the major issues people havewith movies likeHostelis the graphic violence on display. I can’t begin to talk about the film’s merits without pointing to that crucial part of the film. There are some truly gnarly kills and mutilations inHostel. It’s kind of the point of the movie. There are limbs chopped, tendons cut, faces made unrecognizable by a variety of medieval instruments — it can be nauseating. But if you can stomach the violence,there is a thrilling story underneath as well as an intelligent commentary about illicit desires.
This time around, having seen the kills before and noticing some of the less well-hidden gorey movie tricks, I was really able to watchHostelas a straightforward horror movie, and I quite enjoyed it.
The main characters inHostelare themselves searching for carnal pleasures in Europe, though of a more legal variety. InHostel,Roth blurs the line between what is socially appropriate and what isn’t, making for a film that can be read at a deeper level than the torches and chainsaws may imply. This time around, having seen the kills before and noticing some of the less well-hidden gory movie tricks, I was really able to watchHostelas a straightforward horror movie, and I quite enjoyed it. Still, I wouldn’t suggest the film for a dinner-and-a-movie date night.
Hostel Led To A Problematic Trend In Horror Movies
The Next Hostel Movies Only Cared About The Torture
Of course, studios only connected two dots after films likeSawandHostelwere successful: “More torture equals more money”. This resulted in the next two films in the series,Part IIandPart III, to be overly concerned with the torture and violence. They ramp up the gore to such an exploitative level that it’s almost comical. These next two movies lose sight of whyHostelwas appreciated in the first place. By the time audiences caught wise to the new, gross tone of the franchise, two films had already been made.
2005
59%
2007
44%
2011
67%
It’s why I’ll always like theSawfranchise more (though it’s still not exactly my cup of tea). At least when those films went bonkers and began making the violence exploitative for the sake of shock, they also invested time in the soap opera dramas and Rube Goldberg-esque machines, making even the badmovies in theSawfranchise interesting. When you strip away the story and commentary from theHostelsequels, you’re left with a dude in a chair getting his arm chopped off. That’s not only exploitative — it’s just boring.
Hostel
Cast
Eli Roth’s Hostel is a horror film set in Europe where a group of tourists from America seeks a life-changing adventure during the height of their youth. When Paxton and Josh travel abroad, they enjoy the nightlife of Amsterdam until they find themselves locked out of their hostel. Invited by a man to stay with him, they follow him to Slovakia, tempted by two women that promise them a night they won’t forget. However, they wake up after their encounters to find themselves trapped in a torture dungeon and must do what it takes to escape and survive.
