Hostel (R)

Horror films often draw on ordinary events, or, at the very least start with a rational idea before going through the Hollywood wringer that leads to some of the most horrifying films. For instance, Wes Craven’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street” was borne of two such phenomena – one, a newspaper clipping detailing the death of a South East Asian immigrant after having a series horrible nightmares and two, a childhood bully of Craven’s named Fred Krueger which would merge to become one of horror’s most sinister baddies. In a similar fashion, rumors of an underground enterprise in Thailand where “customers” could pay $10K to kill another human being  would lead Director/Writer Eli Roth to create 2005’s “Hostel” – the story of three backpackers who head to Slovakia looking for paradise and find instead a nightmare.

“Hostel” gained an almost immediate label as frightening, scary, and original due to its unique idea and gory kill scenes. The film stars Derek Richardson (“Dumb and Dumberer”) and Jay Hernandez (“crazy/beautiful”) as American travelers Josh and Paxton, vacationing in Holland and experiencing all the vices Eastern Europe has to offer. Having a less than satisfying experience (a.k.a. not meeting enough authentic native people and a complete lack of girls), the two – along with a Icelandic tourist they meet (Eythor Gudjonsson) – head to the city of Bratislava at the promise of a hostel where more girls, and pleasures than they can imagine, await.

“Hostel” does several things right which many modern horror movies throw out the window. For instance, it gives it’s a good amount of backstory and depth to its two central characters. There’s Josh, who is on the trip attempting to get over his ex-girlfriend while aspiring to be a writer, and Paxton, slated for law school who is looking to get some carefree experience on one last college trip. We get to know the pair more, especially during an ominous scene where Paxton relays to Josh a summer where he was at the beach and witnessed a little girl drown before his eyes. While not perfect characters (as both emit a fair amount of crassitude), it’s nice to see that Roth at least took some effort to solidify his characters before putting them through the wringer.

The film also manages to build suspense the right way. Aside from an opening sequence that hints at unseen horrors, “Hostel” manages to instill an air of creepiness with several cinema tricks often reserved for better movies. Firstly, the score is slow-paced and ominous in the right places, set perfectly against the backdrop of quaint Slovakia with its historical townhouses and winding rivers. The film also utilizes foreshadowing very effectively, building suspense with long, steady shots of such soon to be nightmare locations as abandoned factories and graffiti-ridden train stations. And, unlike many less effective horror movies of today, Roth and Co. wait until roughly the 45-minute mark for the film’s first murder to occur, lending “Hostel”  unlikely suspense and authenticity.

Criticism of the film comes from the overly sadistic and gory nature of the film’s carnage (but, with Roth at the helm, and produced by Quentin Tarantino – who makes a cameo – this is to be expected). Basically, the film’s protagonists are lured into the clutches of the evil empire that runs Bratislava’s hostel – a group called “Elite Hunting” – who drug and kidnap unsuspecting youths, turning them over to their members who pay top dollar for the chance to torture and kill travelers.  The movie takes on a grim tone when one of Paxton and Josh’s acquaintances goes up missing, and even more grim when Paxton begins to fear that something really awful may have happened to Josh himself.

You have to give Roth credit for coming up with a unique and scary premise here, and the ambiance that the film’s antique town dredges up only adds to this. He also stays close to patterns of horror movies of old, keeping the body count relatively low, focusing on the set up rather than the take down. However, a few scenes will doubtless be too much for all but the most ardent gore fans to digest easily, such as an excruciatingly long torture scene on one luckless youth involving electric drills, scalpels, and severed Achilles’ tendons. Creative license aside, another scene toward the film’s end is just gore for gore’s sake, and involves the most sadistic man you’ll ever meet with a blowtorch.

In fairness, the film’s gore is minimal, and kept mostly to cut away shots with only grim implications.  And, surprisingly, Roth utilizes a multitude of effective cut shots (one, as Paxton is dragged past doors in the factory showing things no one should be made to see, lasting merely seconds, is the most horrifying scene in any horror movie I’ve seen in the last ten years or so) to illustrate the horrific nature of the film. Further connections, such as when Paxton realizes the whole town may be involved in the conspiracy, leave him utter and completely alone, literally fighting for his life.

All in all, “Hostel” is a good movie. It features a unique plot, decent acting from its main cast, a very creepy setting and musical score, and an old fashioned “pick ‘em off one-by-one” plot device not seen this formulaic since the ‘80s. The ending, which will not be spoken of, also goes a great way toward rewarding moviegoers’ investment in the movie, and may just help them sleep at night at the same time. “Hostel,” Roth’s follow up to his first, 2002’s “Cabin Fever” is a blast into more serious and macabre material for the filmmaker. However, if you’re overly queasy or detest gory films, you may want to skip this one.

– by Mark Ziobro