Eli Roth burst into the horror scene with his insanely enjoyable Cabin Fever in 2002. This indie gem centers around a group of college friends fighting off a flesh eating disease. It was classic horror; boobs, blood, and karate kids yelling for pancakes. It was a fun horror flick that got Roth major recognition from the likes of Peter Jackson and Quentin Tarantino, among others. He then had backing from Tarantino in making his second feature Hostel, which came out in 2005. This movie was about three friends backpacking in Europe. They soon come to find out that they are at the wrong end of a human trafficking murder ring. Hostel was a really well done sophomore film. The slow build up sets up the crazy gory final half perfectly. The film takes on a creepy look thanks to the brilliant cinematography and direction. Roth's second film proved that he had some real talent and wasn't just a one hit wonder. Then, two years later, Eli Roth came out with the sequel Hostel Part II. This movie was met with somewhat average reviews from critics and fans alike. But, in my opinion, this film is among one of the best horror films of the 2000s.
The first Hostel flick was great. It had good characters, solid acting, and insane gore. Having said that, I always thought Part 2 was way above the first installment on terms of direction and style. There are many elements that combined to make this a near perfect horror film and a damn good sequel.
First of all, the acting is superb. Lauren German does a great job as the main character Beth. She's down to earth, even with a strangely huge sum of money at her disposal. Bijou Phillips and Heather Matarazzo do their great in their respective parts as her two friends along for the trip. Roger Bart and Richard Burgi have great chemistry as long time friends who are about to dive into the dangerous world of the Elite Hunting club. The acting in this movie is far better than most horror films and really adds to the authenticity.
Now, about the direction. Eli Roth had always been one of my favorite directors. He passed on the quick cut strobe effect most movies, namely the Saw films, were using at the time. For Hostel Part 2, his shots are well thought out and he knew how to set up eerie visuals and good suspense. The scene when Stuart and Todd are getting ready for the torture is by far my favorite scene in the film. No dialogue, just a beautiful song along with the two buddies psyching themselves out for what's to come. Truly masterful. He knows how to show us the gore, too. It's not over stylized and it works to awesome effect. Roth's direction is great and it sets this film apart from the rest.
The gore is also quite amazing. KNB worked on this film and they did an outstanding job. To this day, the upside down torture scene is one of the most brutal, and surreal kills in recent memory. This film is less gory than the original, but when it hits, it hits hard. It's very unflinching and realistic. The ending with Beth chopping off Axelle's head puts a huge smile on my face. I'm glad this wasn't a gore fest all the way through, and I'm also glad that when the gore did happen, it was beautifully done.
Hostel Part 2 doesn't feel like a traditional horror film. There's no needless jump scares, no annoying characters, nothing a typical scary movie might have. And that's what puts it high above the rest. It's a well thought out film, that just happens to be centered around an underground torture club. It's very unnerving, and scary in ways you wouldn't expect. For example: The most disturbing scene in the movie is when all of the yuppies are bidding on the unsuspecting girls. No blood, just people gambling with other people's lives. It gets to you in ways other horror films don't. Hostel Part 2 is quite underrated and begs for another look. Happy hunting!
The first Hostel flick was great. It had good characters, solid acting, and insane gore. Having said that, I always thought Part 2 was way above the first installment on terms of direction and style. There are many elements that combined to make this a near perfect horror film and a damn good sequel.
First of all, the acting is superb. Lauren German does a great job as the main character Beth. She's down to earth, even with a strangely huge sum of money at her disposal. Bijou Phillips and Heather Matarazzo do their great in their respective parts as her two friends along for the trip. Roger Bart and Richard Burgi have great chemistry as long time friends who are about to dive into the dangerous world of the Elite Hunting club. The acting in this movie is far better than most horror films and really adds to the authenticity.Now, about the direction. Eli Roth had always been one of my favorite directors. He passed on the quick cut strobe effect most movies, namely the Saw films, were using at the time. For Hostel Part 2, his shots are well thought out and he knew how to set up eerie visuals and good suspense. The scene when Stuart and Todd are getting ready for the torture is by far my favorite scene in the film. No dialogue, just a beautiful song along with the two buddies psyching themselves out for what's to come. Truly masterful. He knows how to show us the gore, too. It's not over stylized and it works to awesome effect. Roth's direction is great and it sets this film apart from the rest.
The gore is also quite amazing. KNB worked on this film and they did an outstanding job. To this day, the upside down torture scene is one of the most brutal, and surreal kills in recent memory. This film is less gory than the original, but when it hits, it hits hard. It's very unflinching and realistic. The ending with Beth chopping off Axelle's head puts a huge smile on my face. I'm glad this wasn't a gore fest all the way through, and I'm also glad that when the gore did happen, it was beautifully done.
Hostel Part 2 doesn't feel like a traditional horror film. There's no needless jump scares, no annoying characters, nothing a typical scary movie might have. And that's what puts it high above the rest. It's a well thought out film, that just happens to be centered around an underground torture club. It's very unnerving, and scary in ways you wouldn't expect. For example: The most disturbing scene in the movie is when all of the yuppies are bidding on the unsuspecting girls. No blood, just people gambling with other people's lives. It gets to you in ways other horror films don't. Hostel Part 2 is quite underrated and begs for another look. Happy hunting!
No comments:
Post a Comment