one of the best social commentaries of our time

Rating: 9/10 (28 July 2006)

Let me first qualify that subject line - in order to understand the social commentary one needs to be capable and mature enough in their critical thinking skills to see outside of their horizons of expectation. If one goes into this film expecting a Friday the 13th/ Jason/ Freddy experience he or she will be disappointed. If they are expecting a Kafka-esquire cinematographic wonder they will be disappointed. However, this film stands above the ordinary movie droll for the following reasons:
1. It doesn't rely on clichÃ©s (no fumbling for keys, no long discussions with the villain, no idiotic explorations of dark basements or rooms without lights, no endlessly resurrected slashers).
2. It is believable (crass Americans in Europe, testosterone driven youths, and the commodification of human life).
3. The torture scenes are not shot gratuitously. Other threads have noted that the film "didn't show much" and this is precisely why that makes this film great. It leaves the terror up to the audiences imagination. The director focuses his lens on the faces and the reactions of the victim. We experience fear vicariously. Films of this "genre" usually spoon feed violence to viewers and are consequently forced to escalate and intensify the methods of death in order to evoke a reaction. Hostel succeeds because it does not rely purely on blood, guts, and gore.
Too many threads on this message board post the opinions of this spoon fed generation. Watch this film. Ask yourself what the Director doesn't show. Ask yourself how the Director defies your expectations. And ask yourself if this couldn't be real in our Survivor, American Idol, Fear Factor world.