Not for those with weak stomachs, or a strong opinion of good horror flicks.

Rating: 6/10 (9 January 2006)

I have tried for years to understand the works of Quentin Tarantino, and why he is so highly acclaimed, but this movie didn't help me at all. Now before I get jumped on for this, I must say that even though I don't 'like' any of his films, I have respect for anyone who can stay fresh in Hollywood these days, while still doing the movies he wants to do, seemingly, without compromising his vision.
Now, after presenting my stance on the main driving force behind "Hostel", I must say why I loathed this movie. I first caught a 'restricted' trailer of this film before "Saw II". I was horrified at the preview, even though it was no more than three minutes long. Now, I love horror movies, (hence how I saw the preview), but seeing how many gruesome images someone can cram into 95 minutes of film is not scary, it's more sad than anything.
I'm not ripping on the violence because I'm squeamish, but because it's so over the top. I like a horror movie with a fairly comprehensible storyline. In Hostel, not only was a decent plot nowhere in sight, but it seems, as if to compensate for this, the torture scenes were more elaborate to divert attention from the fact that the plot was thin, and, the characters one dimensional. So in the end, you care very little about them, so it isn't a big deal when they die. Most horror movies have at least one character that can be liked or identified with by most people on some level.
For those who like the film, I am not saying anything against the fans; I just can't see any appeal in it.