I’d heard that this movie was really intense and horrifying, so I figured it was my kind of thing. Unfortunately I wasn’t that impressed by it. It is indeed terribly gory, really a vile movie, but it’s actually so explicit that for me it finally lost it’s impact and was, well, kind of boring.
The idea is promising: Two young American dudes (who are total jerks) go backpacking in Europe and end up in this hostel where some really bad stuff happens. There’s some pretty obvious political irony to it that’s kind of amusing. With the United States being so unpopular in much of the world right now, it’s kind of like every American’s worst nightmare of visiting Europe – ending up in a torture chamber and being tormented by vicious Euro-sadists.
But as a horror movie, I couldn’t recommend this one. It’s of the “more is more” camp of horror movies. Nothing’s left to the imagination and finally it becomes kind of numbing and not much fun and never particularly scary, just gross.
The “making of” feature on the DVD wasn’t too good either. It didn’t look like the cast and crew were having a very good time on it, just another miserable film shoot with long days and little sleep.
I am so glad that someone elce has my view of the new school of horror movies. The last good one I have seen was Land of the Dead. and befor that blair witch.
I agree – these new ultra-sadistic movies aren’t doing much for me. I like some subtlety. It’s the build up and suggestion of what you might see that’s the fun part. So often it seems like the first forty minutes or so is the best part. Once everything’s revealed it’s like, “Oh, is that all…?”
When a friend told me Hostel was “less gory then SAW” I was not much interested in seeing it. I also never watched SAW 2 because it looked to me like all the I know what you Did last Summer trash.
I liked SAW because it was raw and it was in my mind original. It should be one of those every five to 7 year movies. What are everyone’s opinions of the American remakes of Japanese horror?
I can tell you I saw Audition and there were a few holy crap moments but the psychological horror and drama was intense. For me anyway. Very often tastes vary.
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
Yes, I did enjoy SAW also. I thought it was quite original, though the second one didn’t do much for me. I hear there’s yet another one coming out later this year.
Oh, Audition was wild! I liked it quite a bit. It played at a theater here for about a week and somehow I caught it – totally bizarre…
Hostel bored me to tears. It was gory and gross, but that’s hardly enough to make a movie.
Audition was interesting. I especially like how he kept trying to find her even after he knew she was lieing about everything!
The scariest movie I’ve ever seen has to be Polterguist (still!) That movie scared the hell out of me for weeks! Could have been due to the fact I was a tender youngin’ when I saw it. ;)