Hostel

It’s hard not to feel somewhat disappointed by Hostel, given that writer/director Eli Roth kept proclaiming that the film was to be an uncompromisingly disturbing exercise in fear. But, as it turns out, the movie is no more extreme than most similarly-themed R-rated flicks and it seems fairly obvious that Roth was forced to censor himself in order to placate the MPAA. The storyline follows three fun-loving young adults who, while backpacking across Europe, stumble upon an unspeakable horror involving an illicit website. The first half of Hostel comes off as a grittier version of Eurotrip, with these characters partying their way from city to city – until some seriously messed up stuff starts to go down. The problem emerges when it becomes clear that Roth either isn’t able or isn’t willing to create an atmosphere of dread, resulting in an opening hour that’s basically disposable. And while there are few enjoyably over-the-top moments of gore, the movie is – on the whole – pretty tame (something that’s exemplified by the cop-out ending, which isn’t even remotely as dark as it should have been). That Hostel was originally to conclude on a much more shocking and downbeat note, according to comments made by Roth after the screening, just solidifies the film’s status as an overly cautious piece of work.

**1/2 out of ****