Brutal shocker

Rating: 8/10 (5 April 2016)

Hearty party animal Paxton (a solid performance by Jay Hernandez), his wimpy friend Josh (likable Derek Richardson), and their happy-go-lucky Icelandic buddy Oli (a lively and engaging portrayal by Eythor Gudjonsson) run afoul of an underground murder for profit business in Slovakia while backpacking through Europe.
Writer/director Eli Roth's no-holds-barred ferocious and unflinching cinematic kick to the stomach not only serves as a trenchant cautionary tale on the perils of ugly Americans happily indulging in all kinds of crass behavior abroad without thinking of the potentially severe consequences until it's too late (for example, the protagonists go to Slovakia with the specific goal of getting laid), but also offers a profoundly disturbing commentary on how people are willing to pay big money in order to act out their worst, most base, and downright cruel impulses simply because they can. Moreover, Roth deserves extra praise for showing just enough of the torture set pieces so that the viewer gets the basic idea without being too grossed out. The grimy subterranean setting projects a potently unsettling sense of dread, isolation, and vulnerability. In addition, there are chilling contributions by Jan Vlasak as a blithely sadistic Dutch businessman, Barbara Nedeljakova as the enticing, yet dangerous Natalya, and Rick Hoffman as a jaded, but still eager and excited American client. Nerve-shredding stuff.