HOSTEL: PART II

(2007)

written and directed by Eli Roth

reviewed by Adam Armstrong

1.8.09

Ouch! I’m still hurting from watching the finale.

Beth (Lauren German) and her two friends, Whitney (Bijou Phillips) and Lorna (Heather Matarazzo), are traveling through Europe with Prague as their destination. Axelle (Vera Jordanova), a model from their art class, convinces the girls to take a side trip to Slovakia to enjoy the country. An online auction begins for the girls, the highest bidder gets to torture and kill them. The girls are captured and sent off to their prepaid demise. And it wouldn’t be much of a movie if there wasn’t some kind of escape with a penultimate scene that will make men everywhere cringe. This is quickly followed by a ridiculous revenge sequence like the first film.

The first Hostel was like getting a few slivers of filet mignon; we were only given a little of the story and it kept us interested. This follow up was like getting sixty pounds of filet mignon at once; there was way too much back story and not enough of the splat and gore we paid our ticket price to see. There was a really interesting look at murder as a concept versus a reality, which quickly gets flushed down the toilet by unfounded bloodlust. There were quite a few nifty gross out scenes including an Elizabeth Báthory blood bath, and an Armin Meiwes like cannibal scene. I think this would be a great stopping point for the franchise, so there will more than likely be about fifty straight to video sequels.

Watch it for the gore, but be prepared to fast-forward through the boring parts.

3.5 out of 5