Hostel II (2007)

Written by Nick Da Costa | Wednesday, February 27, 2008 |

Sequels are generally seen as an opportunity for a filmmaker to expand on their initial premise both in terms of character, plot and themes. And in the case of good commercial horror, upping the ante on the gore.

While Hostel II comes hard with the vomit inducing scenes of mayhem, it’s a shame it forgot to include the rest.

While the first Hostel had a certain cache for all its gory depiction of the figures of rabid American consumerism being cut to pieces as commodities themselves, Eli Roth’s much bloodier sequel is far less worthy.

Though it could be said that Roth is poking fun at the horror genre as a whole, and his obsession with Asian cinema would suggest the goofy, Miike stylings aren’t accidental, it seems that the corn has outweighed the serious this time around. The moments of true horror in the original are lost, replaced by hysterical scenes of violence. This could be justified if the story had anything interesting to say, but it really doesn’t.

Instead of expanding the concept of a global human hunting club, Roth lazily throws in snippets of the behind the scenes machinations such as a frenzied bidding war for victims, starring your doctor, your lawyer, your sweet old uncle or the journey one of these wannabe torturers take. It really isn’t enough when you consider that the majority of the movie is simply a flip of the gender perspective, this time following a group of female backpackers.

It’s frustrating because Roth has the potential to be a great director of atmosphere and high tension, and he could easily have incorporated his sly satire into a slightly more serious take on the topic. Unfortunately just when you think he’s taking you off into a surprising direction, the puerile part of him rears up, and we’re wallowing in guts again, and what’s worse it’s not scary, chilling or any emotion really. You’re debasing yourself as an audience and without anything of any worth to support that, it’s little more than reprehensible.

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