Hostel: Parts I, II & III

This is a trilogy of movies I should have reviewed by now. Well, better late than never I guess, and since my Wrong Turn I – IV collection of reviews is one of my most read pieces, I thought I would review the Hostel franchise in one big post. I hope you enjoy it!

To dismiss the Hostel movies as thoughtless “torture porn” doesn’t do justice to the sophistication behind them, even if that sophistication is undermined on occasion by dumb juvenilia. Sure, there is lots of profanity, nudity, sexual activity, abundant graphic violence, torture and gore. But it’s not as though the films are marketed in a way that hides these facts. They are 18/R rated movies and therefore aimed at people who have an interest in the more adult/violent side of cinema. I have compiled my thoughts on the 3 movies in the franchise, and please be warned there are spoilers…….not many but thought I should give you a heads up. Pretty difficult to review sequels without mentioning what happened before them, but I tried not to give too much away.

Hostel (2005) – Three backpackers head to a Slovak city that promises to meet their hedonistic expectations, with no idea of the hell that awaits them.

Director: Eli Roth

Jay Hernandez – Paxton
Derek Richardson – Josh
Eythor Gudjonsson – Oli

Coming from the mind of Cabin Fever director Eli Roth, and produced by none other than Quentin Tarantino, 2005 gave the world Hostel.

Our 3 backpackers are Josh and Paxton who are Americans, and Oli who is from Iceland. After a bit of early fun and shenanigans, circumstances result in them meeting a strange man who informs them of a Hostel in Slovakia where there are many women who love foreign guys. The boys take him up on his advice and to their delight they check into a hostel where unspeakably hot women hang out naked in saunas. They hook up with a couple of girls, but become concerned when their Icelandic companion mysteriously disappears the morning after.

Paxton, Oli and Josh

Perhaps not surprisingly, someone is kidnapping, torturing and killing some of the youngsters that have the misfortune of showing up at the hostel. Just who or what is going on eventually becomes clear as the story progresses.

Despite the odd bit of torture, I really didn’t feel Hostel was as graphic as people would have you believe. The effects look a little dated now (the eye scene in particular) but there are still a few moments to make you squirm (Achilles heels anyone?) It really isn’t a full on 90 minute gore fest, and although we see a few little moments, Roth is pretty restrained here and concentrates more on the story.

I loved Hostel. I thought it was clever and at the time such a refreshing change and style of movie. Ever since we have been inundated with replicas and copycats, but not many come close to Hostel. Of course, it’s not perfect. For example, I felt a little like I did during Wolf Creek, where the set up of the movie just went on a little too long. I get that these 3 boys are just having fun, and we need to see them cutting loose. It just could have been done over a shorter time period, as it just dragged and I kept waiting for the film to really pick up pace.

Roth based his screenplay on a news report of a Thai Internet business through which, for $10,000, one could kill another human being. He moved the location to war-torn Eastern Europe and I think that’s what helps make Hostel feel so real. I believed this type of situation could happen, and the reactions and efforts of our protagonists were very believable.

Jay Hernandez as Paxton

Jay Hernandez (Paxton) is the most recognisable face on show here, and as he gets the most screen time he has to be good. Luckily he is. As we are taken through the building in the final act, we see through Paxton’s eyes people being put through horrific turmoil. If you’re not a fan of bloodshed then none of these films are for you, but if you don’t mind it, and somehow haven’t seen it, I highly recommend Hostel.

Hostel: Part II (2007) – Three American college students studying abroad are lured to a Slovakian hostel, and discover the grim reality behind it.

Director: Eli Roth

Lauren German – Beth
Roger Bart – Stuart
Heather Matarazzo – Lorna
Bijou Phillips – Whitney
Richard Burgi – Todd

The beauty of the original Hostel was the reveal: the factory, the business, the monied clients… the sick concept that ordinary people would eviscerate innocents for the ultimate power trip. I have to admit I was excited by the news of a sequel, but also anxious as to how they could top it or follow it. Luckily, Eli Roth was back and whilst it felt slightly similar to the previous film, there was enough here to stand alone.

Richard Burgi & Roger Bart – The Businessmen

This time round we are given a different view of the goings on by focusing almost as much on the torturer’s as the tortured. Because these victims are sold off to the highest bidder, the film literally considers the cost of human life and the power of money to afford experiences that are supposed to be priceless. We follow two businessmen (Richard Burgi & Roger Bart) from America to Bratislava, from golf course, wife and kids to grimy torture cell, and this is a nice touch with Roth getting  a chance to show us more of the organisation. Of course then there’s US backpackers Beth (Lauren German – The Divide), Whitney (Bijou Phillips) and Lorna (Heather Matarazzo), lured into the trap and we get to see how they are caught and bidded on by wannabe killers.

Lauren German as Beth

I felt the early scenes suffer from repetition, as again we are treated to the build up and how the girls end up at their destination. (As a Roma football fan though it was nice to see Francesco Totti shirts littered throughout the Rome scenes. Simple things.) When the girls finally arrive at their hostel the pace definitely picks up and we are treated to some more bloodshed. Again, I always feel it reads worse than it is. Yes, a child is killed, and someone is killed in a style reminiscent of the real life Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory, who bathed in virgin’s blood to keep her youth. Whilst people may feel these scenes are just in for shock value, they do serve a purpose and progress the film onwards. Or at least that’s how I felt anyway.

Bijou Phillips

For once a sequel is at the very least as good as the original. The acting was great, and I’ve always had a soft spot for Lauren German. It was a nice touch to see the other side of the hunting club dynamic, and Hostel: Part II had enough going for it to give me a pleasant surprise. Plus we got a resolution to a few things from the original movie, which is always a good move. Part II is well acted, clever, thrilling and rather enjoyable.

Hostel: Part III (2011) – While attending a bachelor party in Las Vegas, four friends are enticed by two sexy escorts to join them at a private party way off the Strip. Once there, they are horrified to find themselves the subjects of a perverse game of torture, where members of the Elite Hunting Club are hosting the most sadistic show in town.

Director: Scott Spiegel

Kip Pardue – Carter McMullen
Brian Hallisay – Scott
John Hensley – Justin

Hostel: Part III marks the series’ first foray into the straight to DVD realm, and you can definitely feel the difference in everything from the tone to the violence to the story. Eli Roth not only made two of the more violent and (some would say) grotesque horror films in recent memory, but he also used the backdrop of Eastern Europe to add in an extra element of terror as he played with the fears that come with being alone in a foreign and unfamiliar country. Now a few years later comes Part III, and not only has Roth not returned, but it has gone direct to DVD, two of the reddest flags one could imagine for the franchise. After this, I’ll be honest, I didn’t have much hope for this movie being anywhere near as good as the previous two.

Not the most likeable group to root for…….

It begins with an opening that is so ingenious I don’t want to spoil it, but in short it establishes that we are out of the slums of Slovakia and knee-deep in the sin and neon of Las Vegas, Nevada. I love being surprised in a movie, and seeing this so early on and having the rug pulled out so to speak boosted my anticipation. Whilst it maybe didn’t quite keep that level of storytelling throughout the duration, Part III really surprised me, and mostly in a good way.

Wheel of Misfortune

Some of the scariest things about the first two films is the fact that the backpackers are out of their comfort zone, barely speak the language, and you never know who’s working for the hunting club. By taking those things away, Part III loses some of that fear and plausibility. I felt at times here, the build up to the organisation we had from the first 2 movies were either undermined or unrelated. Now we have people bidding on how long it takes for someone to die, not the bidding to do the deed that Part II brought to the series. Just another variation I guess, but it detracted from my enjoyment.

The Escorts

A lot of Hostel fans are in it for the gory kills and Hostel: Part III does not deliver. There is one, involving a Face/Off style surgery, that feels like it could have been from the mind of Eli Roth, but otherwise what we have here is pretty tame. The kills are generic, using arrows and bugs instead of grinding people up. It picks up a bit later, but the loss of the brutality is jarring and disappointing. After all, this series is credited for the amount of torture films are coming out, at least give us some torture!

All in all, whilst this is the weakest chapter in the franchise, it’s still a good watch with a decent story. The acting is mixed, and some of the characters are so hard to sympathise with, I didn’t care if and how they were killed. The ending is the worst part though, and really undid all the good work that had gone before it. I should really take more points off my final rating just for the end scene, but there was enough good work preceding it to earn a 6. Just. If there is a Part IV, I hope it goes back to being in a more remote location and gives us some more bloodshed.

Posted by Tysoncarter182 on May 30, 2013

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