Well-made for the genre--the excessive-skin-displayed-before-gruesome-bloody-torture-begins genre--Hostel follows two randy Americans (Jay Hernandez, Friday Night Lights, and Derek Richardson, Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd) and an even randier Icelander (Eythor Gudjonsson) as they trek to Slovakia, where they're told beautiful girls will have sex with anyone with an American accent. Unfortunately, the girls will also sell young Americans to a company that offers victims to anyone who will pay to torture and murder. To his credit, writer/director Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) takes his time setting things up, laying a realistic foundation that makes the inevitable spilling of much blood all the more gruesome. The sardonic joke, of course, is that Americans are worth the most in this brothel of blood because everyone else in the world wants to take revenge upon them. This dark humor and political subtext help set Hostel above its more brainless sadistic compatriots, like House of Wax or The Devil's Rejects. In general, though, there's something lacking; horror used to suggest some threat to the spirit--today's horror can conceive of nothing more troubling than torturing the flesh. For aficionados, Hostel features a nice cameo by Takashi Miike, director of bloody Japanese flicks like Audition and Ichi the Killer. --Bret Fetzer

Hostel gathered a lot of controversy upon release, and has spawned a generally queasy set of audience reactions. Many have responded with hatred towards the violent and unflinching nature of the film. My problem with it doesn't lie with the violence.

I can't connect to the first half of the film, which is mostly about regular foolish male behaviour while backpacking in central Europe. All of that becomes a long wait to see what awaits in the second half, and it provides very little buildup to what we'll eventually have to endure.

All of the violence in the film is harsh, personal and disturbing. It's not entertaining, but in a broader sense, pretty interesting. It makes you wonder about the world, and what dark places may exist where anything or anyone can be purchased for the right price.

This DVD contains some pretty good featurettes, and overall a really good set of extras, including one featurette which is almost entirely about the inspiration and reaction for the film, and how much of it is based in reality. Eli Roth is certainly an intelligent man, and he's out to tell a message, not only shock, but due to the harsh and stark nature of the film, it's hard to digest, and it's overall too uncomfortable to be really memorable. Maybe there's a little too much truth to Hostel.

I like a good thriller, but this is an abomination--an insult. I couldn't even get very far into it.

That's OK.

But then I see the director on a special feature in the recent release of a special addition of Hitchcock's "Psycho" where he describes how he was influenced by Hitchcock is aspects of this film.

Don't kid yourself. You have no talent as a film maker and this film is an insult to the memory of true artists and craftsman like Hitchcock.

You don't deserve to even clean Hitchcock's toilet.

I weep for the condition of the Hollywood film industry.

There are documented cases of these "hostels" existing.
so, i guess you could say that the concept is based on true events. This film gives the audience a walk-threw of several young adults, living their lives as carelessly as most usually do...when something happens that (if they live) changes their lives forever. It was an awesome horror movie experience, terrifyingly graphic, and the somewhat passive attitude that suggests "it's JUST a severed limb...or its JUST an eyeball on her cheek...or it's JUST another humans life" made the film very darkly entertaining and at the same time, all the more difficult to sit threw. After watching this, i had a similar vibe as to the one i got from watching the original Blair Witch Project. Not really scary, just really creepy atmosphere...and above average acting.

The sequel, however, is a different story...

I dont care what the haters say, This is good film making.

I purposefully avoided all media related to hostel till I was able to catch it in theaters(on opening day.) It made it an absolutely amazing experience. The sold out theater i was in gave a standing ovation when the credits rolled.

Avoiding this movie is like avoiding sex, sure you can do it, but you're a worse person for doing so.

Again, like its sequel, the video and audio quality on the blu disc is amazing. And the directors ending is very much different than the original ending. Disc contains both versions of the movie (Unrated cut, and Directors cut.) If you're a fan of the film, pick this disc up.

i didn't like this movie its so kadiri!!!!!!.... people killing people just for fun-? ewh!!!!!!! but if you dont have any choice this movie would be your last option....its so panget!!!!!