Hostel

REVIEW
Three fratboy jerks bumble through Eastern Europe looking for drugs, booze and girls. They find all three in spades at a hostel in Slovakia, but something seems... not quite right. When one of their party goes missing, the two buddies begin to suspect foul play. Ferociously gory, ludicrous, but extremely entertaining, Hostel begins horribly, as we're forced to watch these three make asses of themselves in Europtrip fashion. Once the blood starts flowing (and spurting, and spraying), Hostel kicks into high gear and never lets up. The second half is by turns intense, hilarious and crowd-pleasing (this is a blast with a responsive audience). And by making the villains so very evil, director Roth even manages to make the leads sympathetic. Be warned, this is an unapologetic exploitation film, but it doesn't skimp on the cruelty and brutality; will be a tough watch for those with an aversion to torture scenes. For the rest of us sickos, Hostel proves to be a refreshingly amoral roller-coaster ride that aims to please.