A Fresh Breath of Air in an Otherwise Stale Genre

Rating: 8/10 (19 November 2006)

Hostel is the perfect film for fans of the Horror scene in a time where a seemingly endless line-up of shoddy horror films continue to dilute the genre as a whole.
What starts off as appearing to be another generic "fish out of water" and "road trip" story premise, Hostel proves itself by offering something morea feasible and intriguing plot, even if it takes the entire length of the film to reach it.
In the former half of the film, there is a questionable level of nudity even with an "R" rating, whereas the latter half provides the same elevated level of subjective material, but in a more tasteful and grotesquely satisfying manner.
The characters, while providing a sufficient, yet inconsistent level of solid acting, lack the development that would have made the film truly stellar. Only one of the three protagonists is easily identifiable for the viewer, yet I still question Eli Roth's choice to turn a potentially memorable character into another bland horror film compilation of shallow human emotions. What is noteworthy regarding the characters however is the apparent level of moral development, which allots the viewer ample forgiveness for the initial shallow character introduction.
Where this film does excel is its ability to convey emotions that are the product of well-planned and well-paced story progression. Rather than succumbing to sudden plot twists to proved a story that ultimately leaves the viewer with little to no afterthought, intrinsic details carefully placed into every scene progress the film at an even pace. As a result, the on-screen character's emotions are implanted into the viewer's minds, which makes for an unprecedented feeling of insecurity and helplessness in the horror genre.
The most surprising aspect of the film is the lack of any final plot twist which has become commonplace in the horror genre. This surprise is strongly welcomed and really concludes the formerly lacking story well. My only gripe regarding the story is that there really isn't one until just before the credits roll.
While there are aspects of this film that could use some fine tuning, the lasting result is a much-needed level of satisfaction for horror fans. Those with weak stomachs are advised to stay clear of this movie, but even casual fans of the genre should check it out.