 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Hostel
- Review Date: April 17, 2006
- R
- Genre: Horror
- 2006
Common Sense Media says
Extremely brutal and graphic; not for the faint of heart.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this film is absolutely not for kids. The premise and primary "plot" is torture, specifically, the torture of young travelers by wealthy adults who pay thousands of dollars for the experience. These images are graphic and bloody (severed limbs, penetrated genitals, sliced Achilles tendon, gouged eye, with weapons including scissors, chainsaws, knives, hammers, drills, clippers, guns, cars, and chairs). One character throws herself in front of a train when she sees her disfigurement following torture. These violent scenes are preceded by a sojourn in Amsterdam, featuring girls' breasts and one frontal nudity shot. Characters engage in boisterous sex and a man makes a homosexual pass at an unwilling young man. Characters smoke, drink, and do multiple sorts of drugs. Characters use frequent foul language (over 100 f-words, derogatory terms like "faggot" and, in this context, "gay," slang for genitals, "damn," "hell").
What's the story?
American backpackers Paxton (Jay Hernandez) and Josh (Derek Richardson) are traveling with their new friend Oli (Eythor Gudjonsson), each trying hard to impress the others with his capacity for partying. In Amsterdam, they're amazed by the availability of sex, marijuana, and hash, all of these indulgences featured in graphic imagery. The boys are thrilled to learn from the ultra-skeezy Alex (Lubomir Silhavecky) that a hostel in Slovakia promises even more loose girls and more potent drugs. They hop on a train tout de suite. Here they're forewarned of the mayhem to come when a fellow traveler, an older Dutchman (Jan Vlasák), makes an unwanted pass at Josh. Still, the boys' cockiness only escalates when they meet a few girls who do indeed seem enthralled with them, in particular Natalya (Barbara Nedeljáková) and Svetlana (Jana Kaderabkova). Soon enough, everyone is intoxicated and having sex, and one by one, the boys disappear. When he wakes up tied to a chair with a spastic German man whizzing a chainsaw over him, Paxton eventually pieces together that they have been kidnapped for use in torture rituals by wealthy customers who pay to abuse and kill pretty young tourists.
Is it any good?
HOSTEL is as brutal a film as you're likely to see this year. This is definitely NOT for kids.
The fact that Paxton must pose as one of the clients, and, while wearing rubber aprons, endure a conversation with an anxious first-timer (Rick Hoffman) suggests the film's other agenda, the one that's not just grossing out and repulsively titillating an audience familiar with gore conventions. Whether or not Paxton recognizes his own consumerist frenzy in this pompous, too-excited goon, you can hardly miss the mirror images of grasping for hedonistic experiences at the expense of "native" cultures and compliant objects.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the film's rudimentary moral lessons. What lessons is the film trying to convey about backpacking through Europe or class disparities? Or, you might consider the film's evocations of movie conventions, appeals to genre connoisseurs (including homages to executive producer Quentin Tarantino). Are these images cynical responses to a violent world or incisive commentary on violence in media?
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AGE
Woah!
I don't think this ADULTS should be watching this movie! I'm sorry I paid for the ticket! VERY disturbing!
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AGE
I didn't even watch the whole movie it made me SO disgusted!
Unfortunately I went to the theater that night not even knowing what I was going to watch. This movie is so full of blatant sex scenes, nude women and perversion, I couldn't stand to watch any more of it. Later, I heard from some people I know; that this is the goriest movie they've ever seen. This movie made me more disgusted than any movie I've seen yet; and I've seen some movies that I wish I hadn't seen...but this one doesn't even compare. This movie should have definately been rated stronger than R.
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AGE
SICK!
THIS IS A VERY SICK AND DISTURBING FILM. Oh my god i almost threw up to this movie no joke. It was sick and plain stupid. No point. And one disturbing part had me turn off the movie. Please dont go see this movie and put this garbage in your mind.
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AGE
Parents Beware
This film is precisely what's wrong with the MPAA rating system. The system may punish sexuality, but the vile, extreme, gruesome violence in this film passed with an R, making me wonder what film the ratings board saw.
In spite of what this says about American society, know that multiplex cinemas can't regulate every auditorium, and unless films receive an NC-17 when deserved, cinemas won't police auditoriums sufficiently to keep children out.
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AGE
I guess this is what made Eli Roth famous.
When you watch this movie you get a clear view of people who have twisted pleasures in harming and killing other human beings. Four men visit Europe, but the not just there to see the sites, they are there for the sex. Prostitution is graphically depicted. Lots of gore. Characters are tortured in sadistic ways. The film makers obviously wanted to "shock" the audience. If you watch this movie remember that the film is not real. There is an important message in Hostel: Be careful when you enter foreign grounds, make smart decisions and you cant trust everybody. This film was made for mature audiences who enjoy extreme horror films.
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AGE
grosssssss
sorry but i cant even get pass thru the violence i cant some toutre parts i just cant imagine it nastttyyy even thinking about it you will lose meaning
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AGE
Great
Brilliant story, setting and directing by Roth, paired with a brilliant score composed by Nathan Barr makes this an amazing film.
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AGE
Only for horror fans
If you do not like gore, you hate nudity (although its human nature if you ask me when it come to nudity), you easily get offended, hate cursing, you will not like this movie. For what it is, its nothing special in terms of writing or story, although the movie does have a strange charm to it (thanks to Quentin Tarantino's involvement in the film). If you're a horror fan, chances are you will enjoy this movie. For me, its simply above average.
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AGE
Not appropriate for anyone, let alone CHILDREN.
Violence- 10/10
Sexual Content- 10/10
Language- 9.5/10
Drinking, drugs, smoking- 10/10
Bad Messages- 10/10
Bad Role Models- 10/10
Overall Quality- 4/10
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| Studio: | Lionsgate |
| Director: | Eli Roth |
| Cast: | Derek Richardson, Jay Hernandez, Jennifer Lim |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Run time: | 95 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | January 6, 2006 |
| DVD release date: | April 18, 2006 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | brutal scenes of torture and violence, strong sexual content, language and drug use. |
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