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Hostel

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Hostel (2006)

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Reviews Counted:97

Fresh:57

Rotten:40

Average Rating:5.8/10

Consensus: Featuring lots of guts and gore, Hostel is a wildly entertaining corpse-filled journey -- assuming one is entertained by corpses, guts, and gore, that is.

Rated: 18 [See Full Rating] for brutal scenes of torture and violence, strong sexual content, language and drug use.

Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Theatrical Release:24-03-2006

Synopsis: The hallowed tradition of the post-college European backpacking trip turns into an unimaginable nightmare for two unsuspecting American 20-somethings in Eli Roth's (CABIN FEVER) sensational second... The hallowed tradition of the post-college European backpacking trip turns into an unimaginable nightmare for two unsuspecting American 20-somethings in Eli Roth's (CABIN FEVER) sensational second outing. Paxton (Jay Hernandez) and Josh (Derek Richardson) have embarked upon a hedonistic tour of the continent, and somewhere along the way they picked up an Icelandic lunk named Oli (Eythor Gudjonsson). In Amsterdam the trio partakes of the pastimes most dear to frat boys everywhere: weed, prostitutes, and nightclubs. But when a fellow traveler tells these thrill-seekers about the decadent scene that awaits them in Bratislava, they find themselves unable to resist its lures; enticed by the promise of a hostel full of beautiful girls who love Americans, they set out for the remote areas of Eastern Europe. There, the sex farce to which the film's first half is devoted slowly turns ominous, as the boys hook up immediately with the gorgeous Natalya (Barbara Nedeljakova) and Svetlana (Jana Kaderabkova), whose eagerness masks more sinister intentions. Soon, the disagreeable backpackers find themselves on the other side of the flesh trade, sold by the girls into an exclusive human trafficking operation that gives its customers the opportunity to torture and kill a helpless victim. Much of what follows consists of the squirm-inducing surgical horrors that characterize precursors such as SAW, with the implications regarding the capitalist system and the human soul becoming ever darker. Produced by Quentin Tarantino, the film amps up the gore factor as much as it can get away with, and, in the tradition of the best horror films, offers a satirical socially conscious commentary. [More]

Starring: Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Lenka Vlasakova, Shane Daly

Starring: Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Lenka Vlasakova, Shane Daly, Jan Vlasak, Eythor Gudjonsson

Director: Eli Roth

Director: Eli Roth
Composer: Nathan Barr
Studio: Lions Gate Films

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Hostel

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
01/27/07
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The first act’s filler, otherwise it’s a squirmer. Bring a bucket.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
08/02/06
Simon Crook
Simon Crook
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Sadly, as with [director Eli] Roth’s promising but flawed debut feature, its central conceit is more compelling than what ended up on screen.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Nigel Floyd
Nigel Floyd
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
04/01/06
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]

Eli Roth has clearly seen way too many video nasties than can strictly be considered healthy - the first half of the film is wall-to-wall gratuitous sex and violence, and not always in a good way.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
03/23/06
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Beyond its 'How far can I go?' attitude to violence, Hostel has no reason to exist.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment 1 Comment
03/21/06
Nev Pierce
Nev Pierce
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There isn't really much suspense or scariness in this film, but it is seriously nightmarish

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
01/21/06
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

A series of interesting ideas floating around a sea of blood

Full Review Source: CinePassion | comment Comment
08/30/09
Fernando F. Croce
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
11/20/08
Brian Marder
Brian Marder
Hollywood.com

Roth is able to change the focus from frolicking raunchiness to extreme chilliness in a way that's quite sobering.

Full Review Source: ESplatter | comment Comment
07/03/08
Lucius Gore
Lucius Gore
ESplatter
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
01/15/08
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
08/16/07
Dave Calhoun
Dave Calhoun
Time Out New York

A stern moralistic rebuke to ugly-Americanism. The movie is in-your-face but not pointlessly so.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
08/03/07
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

This is routine Roth as usual. Homophobia, attempted nihilism, vapid writing, paper thin plot, and nonsensical all the way...

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
07/10/07
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

Roth proves unable to control the tone of his premise, in the end pandering too much to the male adolescent audience that he at first seems to be satirising.

Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment Comment
07/09/07
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Eye for Film

The skill with which Eli Roth has constructed his film, especially its first 40 minutes, leads me to give it the benefit of the doubt. It's creepy, gripping, horrifying stuff.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
06/06/07
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

While there are some cheap thrills to be had here, much of the movie is profoundly boring.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/01/07
Ethan Alter
Ethan Alter
Film Journal International
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
12/30/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Whether or not this kind of horror movie is your cup of tea, you have to at least admire Roth for the daring and creativity with which he illustrates that concept.

Full Review Source: Associated Press | comment Comment
12/29/06
Christy Lemire
Christy Lemire
Associated Press

...no one is going to mistake "Hostel" for a travelogue, unless they are looking for a journey full of terror.

Full Review Source: Nolan's Pop Culture Review | comment Comment
12/13/06
Michael A. Smith
Michael A. Smith
Nolan's Pop Culture Review
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
all

Latest News for Hostel

June 30, 2008: A Writer/Director for Hostel III? Opens in new window
It looks like Scott Spiegel will be taking over for Eli Roth where Hostel III is concerned -- and it also looks like the sequel will be heading straight to video. More...

June 24, 2008: Eli Roth Won't Write, Direct Hostel III Opens in new window
Looks like a third Hostel movie is officially on the way -- and it'll arrive without Eli Roth writing or directing. More...

April 24, 2008: Eli Roth Going "Big-Budget, PG-13" Opens in new window
For his next film, Hostel director Eli Roth is trading in horror for a sci-fi action project said to be inspired by Cloverfield and Transformers. More...

January 22, 2008: I Know Who Killed Me, Norbit, Daddy Day Camp Lead Razzie Noms
No awards season -- even a strike-tainted one -- would be complete without the Razzies, right? Of course not. And that's why we've thoughtfully assembled all of this year's... More...

See All

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