Solid horror movie

Rating: 7/10 (7 January 2006)

First off, I'm not a fan of horror movies in general: the acting is usually bad, the plots are too contrived, and the violence (when present) doesn't add very much. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by this film. The acting was believable and authentic, and the story, although still a bit far fetched, was compelling enough to not have one saying "Oh come on" every five minutes. The notorious violence that the movie was supposed to showcase in all its graphic glory was actually restrained in my opinion, and not nearly as bad as the commercials make it seem. Still, this movie is definitely not for the faint hearted; some of the scenes will leave you cringing and maybe even looking away for a few moments. But overall, it is not as gory as one might be led to believe. If you can stand some intense but brief scenes, you will walk away quite satisfied, and certainly not wanting to visit Eastern European hostels any time soon!