Hostel (2005)

User Review

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  TheMovieDiorama

  5 / 10

  Hostel may have squandered Slovakia's tourism industry for quite some time. The self-titled "torture porn" sub-genre is not one I particularly enjoy. I acknowledge its merits and its appeal to those who just adore mutilation and hanging eyeballs, to which I question your definition for entertainment. However there are some that are very well crafted and substantiate the very purpose for the scenes of torturous nature. This "thriller" somewhat does, but the lack of tension and verbosely sexually frustrated characters made this more disposable than masterful. A group of tourists are travelling across Europe where they are advised to go to Slovakia, because the girls are beautiful and desperate. Rapidly, the holiday turns into a hellish experience involving awkward dancing, 'Pulp Fiction' and the surgical removal of organs for pleasure. All elements that should be mandatory for any tourist advertisement. Obviously the film is renowned for its realistic gore that forces you to look in the other direction. Cutting off toes, chainsawing fingers and slicing heels have never looked so...ummm...appetising? Despite Roth's mediocre direction, he clearly has an eye for blood. The issue is that his focus is purely on the torture. The characters and story were an afterthought in order to justify the mutilation. The underground business aspect was intriguing, albeit sickening, but the motive for the characters to stay in that hostel was flimsy. You're telling me that they travelled from Amsterdam to Slovakia just for sex? Surely it would've been cheaper to hire an escort at the Red Light District? They didn't think it through, and because of their primitive minds they paid the price. The fact that they weren't likeable either didn't exactly help with becoming invested in them. Surprisingly the character that was most relatable met their demise. The absence of thrills in the first half does mean it takes awhile for the pace to kick in, but the toe-curling second half will have you looking back and forth in anguish. Suffice to say, I shan't be staying in a hostel in Slovakia anytime soon...

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