Review of Hostel (2011) by Sam G — 07 Aug 2014

(17%).

The concept of a slasher movie in which the victims cannot escape or fight back unless the person doing the slashing is clumsier than Mr Bean, or is as incompetent as a Nazi jail watchman in a silly WW2 set yarn, as it doesn't matter how many chainsaws get waved around, or toes get cut off, this just isn't as intense as it needs to be. Mr Roth may know how to hold a camera, but I doubt the words "rewrite" or "2nd draft" hold much meaning to him. I expect he's of the opinion that for as long as there are plenty of on-screen bare breasts then no one will notice the fact that the actors are spouting totally awful dialogue, and that the plot really needed a rethink, whilst at the same time all likelihood, contrivance and normal human sense is bent to breaking point when the last remaining character finds his way into the chamber of horrors by a preposterously lazy manner. Overall this is a nasty, juvenile, black-hearted, though quite well shot, exploitation feature that really has nothing new to offer apart from repackaged ideas. And while it's vile enough to to upset most normal people, it's not to the extent in which it gets the dreaded NC 17 rating resulting in the produces losing all their money. True exploitation money focused trash then.