Hostel is a good horror movie that makes a strong point

Rating: 7/10 (28 February 2006)

I think I enjoyed Hostel not because of the gore, which this movie has loads of, or even the sex scenes which are pretty shallow and take up the first part of the movie. What I liked about this movie was the story and the point that director Eli Roth was trying to get across. That point is that most people outside of America do not like Americans very much. In their opinion, Americans are rude, inconsiderate, selfish and think they are better than everyone. Not only are they all these things, they are also naive, and it is this last point that leads our young protagonists into doing something they are never quite ready for. But how could they be?
Eli Roth pulls no punches with this movie. It is in fact gorier and probably more disturbing then Saw. He sets the movie up as a soft porn flick which soon changes into a terrific horror movie involving torture and other nasty things.
What really makes this film work is that deep down we as viewers know that things like this are possible. We assume that we are so safe in our own country and believe that we will be just as safe going into other countries. All we have to do is think about what's happening over in Iraq to see that security is not always possible when you are so far away from your own country and exploring cultures that you really know nothing about.
Hostel is not a great film, the acting was pretty weak, and I found it hard to even care for the characters. But then I believe this is part of what Eli Roth was trying to say. After all, how can you care for such obnoxious people who care only about themselves and show nothing for others. However at the end of the film, I do believe that one of the main characters finally understands this and looks as if he's going to change his ways. I think maybe a lot of us should.