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{{short description|Film by Eli Roth}}
{{Infobox_Film
{{for-multi|other uses|Hostel (disambiguation)}}
|name = Hostel
{{Use American English|date=November 2022}}
|image = Hostel film.jpg
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
|caption = ''Hostel'' film poster
{{Infobox film
|director = [[Eli Roth]]
| name = Hostel
|writer = [[Eli Roth]]<br>[[Quentin Tarantino]](uncredited rewrite)
| image = Hostel poster.jpg
|starring = [[Jay Hernandez]]<br>[[Derek Richardson]]<br>[[Eyþór Guðjónsson|Eythor Gudjonsson]]<br>[[Barbara Nedeljáková]]
| alt =
|producer = [[Eli Roth]]<br>[[Chris Briggs]]<br>[[Mike Fleiss]]<br>[[Quentin Tarantino]](executive)
| caption = Theatrical release poster
|distributor= [[Lions Gate Entertainment|Lions Gate Films]]<br>[[Screen Gems]]
| director = [[Eli Roth]]
|budget = $4.5 million
| writer = Eli Roth
|released= {{flagicon|CAN}} [[September 17]], [[2005]] <small>(premiere)</small><br/> {{flagicon|ISL}} [[November 12]], [[2005]] <small>(premiere)</small><br/> {{flagicon|USA}} [[January 6]], [[2006]]<br/> {{flagicon|AUS}} [[February 23]] [[2006]] <br/> {{flagicon|GER}} [[April 27]], [[2006]] <br/> {{flagicon|UK}} [[March 24]], [[2006]]<br/> {{flagicon|CZE}} [[March 30]] [[2006]]<br/>{{flagicon|SVK}} [[March 30]] [[2006]]
| producer = {{Plainlist|
|runtime = 107 min.
* [[Quentin Tarantino]]
|country = [[USA]] {{flagicon|USA}}
* [[Mike Fleiss]]
|language = English <br>Czech {{Audio-nohelp|Pulp_fiction.ogg|example}} <br>German {{Audio-nohelp|Dein_leben.ogg|example}} <br>Icelandic {{Audio-nohelp|Djofulsins.ogg|example}} <br>Japanese {{Audio-nohelp|Sayonara.ogg|examp.}} <br>Dutch {{Audio-nohelp|Dutch_buissnes_man.ogg|example}} <br>Russian {{Audio-nohelp|Problem.ogg|example}} <br>Slovak {{Audio-nohelp|In english.ogg|example}} <br>Spanish {{Audio-nohelp|Senorita.ogg|example}} ([[Wikipedia:Media help|example help]])
* Eli Roth
|followed_by = [[Hostel: Part II]]
* Chris Briggs
|amg_id = 1:324992
|imdb_id = 0450278
|}}
{{Infobox movie certificates
|Argentina = 18
|Australia = R18
|Austria = 16
|Belgium = KNT
|Brazil = 18
|Canada (British Columbia) =
|Canada (Alberta) =
|Canada (Manitoba) =
|Canada (Ontario) =
|Canada (Maritime) =
|Canada (Quebec) =
|Canada = 18A
|Finland = 18
|France = 16
|Germany = 18
|Hong_Kong = III
|Hungary = 18
|Iceland =16
|Ireland = 18
|Italy =VM14
|Malaysia = Banned
|Mexico = D
|Netherlands = 16
|New_Zealand = R18
|Norway = 18 (20)
|Philippines = R18
|Portugal =M/18
|Singapore = R21 (cut)
|South_Africa =16
|South_Korea =18
|Spain =18
|Sweden = 15
|Switzerland = 18
|United_Kingdom = 18
|United_States = R
|Uruguay = 18
}}
}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
'''''Hostel''''' is a [[2005 in film|2005]] [[United States|American]] [[horror film]] written and directed by [[Eli Roth]], starring [[Jay Hernandez]], [[Derek Richardson]], [[Eyþór Guðjónsson|Eythor Gudjonsson]] and [[Barbara Nedeljáková]]. The movie is rated "R" in the United States for its infamous scenes of torture and violence, strong sexual content, language, and drug use. Due to the graphic nature of this film, its showing has been restricted in certain countries, primarily those with strict [[censorship]] policies. The sequel, ''[[Hostel: Part II]]'', was released on [[June 8]], [[2007]].
* [[Jay Hernandez]]
* [[Derek Richardson (actor)|Derek Richardson]]
* [[Eyþór Guðjónsson]]
* [[Barbara Nedeljáková]]
* [[Rick Hoffman]]
}}
| cinematography = Milan Chadima
| editing = [[George Folsey Jr.]]
| music = [[Nathan Barr]]
| production_companies = {{Plainlist|
* Next Entertainment<ref name=afi>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/63874|title=Hostel (2006)|work=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]|access-date=2019-09-16|archive-date=April 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190415230810/https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/63874|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Raw Nerve (company)|Raw Nerve]]<ref name=afi/>
}}
| distributor = {{Plainlist|
* [[Lions Gate Films]]<ref name=afi/> <br>(United States)
* [[Screen Gems]]<ref name=afi/><br>(Worldwide; through [[Sony Pictures Releasing International]])<ref name="mojo"/>
* Falcon<br>(Czech Republic)<ref name="mojo"/>
}}
| released = {{Film date|2005|09|17|[[2005 Toronto International Film Festival|TIFF]]|2006|01|06|United States}}
| runtime = 94 minutes<!-- Theatrical runtime: 93:23 --><ref>{{cite web|title=''HOSTEL'' (18)|url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/BFF218675/|work=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=2006-01-18|access-date=2012-01-28|archive-date=September 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230912231639/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/hostel-film-qxnzzxq6vlgtoda3mje2|url-status=live}}</ref>
| country = {{Plainlist|
* United States<ref name=afi/>
* Czech Republic<ref name=afi/>
}}
| language = English
| budget = $4.8 million<ref name="mojo"/>
| gross = $82 million<ref name="mojo"/>
}}

'''''Hostel''''' is a 2005 [[horror film]] written and directed by [[Eli Roth]]. It stars [[Jay Hernandez]], [[Derek Richardson (actor)|Derek Richardson]], [[Eyþór Guðjónsson]], and [[Barbara Nedeljáková]]. It was produced by [[Mike Fleiss]], Roth, and Chris Briggs, and executive produced by [[Boaz Yakin]], [[Scott Spiegel]], and [[Quentin Tarantino]]. The film follows a group of American tourists, as they end up in [[Slovakia]] where they are eventually taken one-by-one by an organization that allows people to torture and kill others.

''Hostel'' was released theatrically in the United States by [[Lions Gate Films]] and [[Sony Pictures Releasing]]'s [[Screen Gems]] on January 6, 2006, and in the Czech Republic by Falcon. The film received divisive reviews from critics, but grossed $82 million worldwide on a $4.8 million budget. It successfully launched a [[Hostel (film series)|film series]], and was followed by ''[[Hostel: Part II]]'' (2007) and ''[[Hostel: Part III]]'' (2011). A television series based on the film is reportedly in development with Roth's involvement.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |date=2024-06-04 |title='Hostel' TV Series Starring Paul Giamatti in the Works (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/hostel-tv-show-paul-giamatti-1235914723/ |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>


==Plot==
==Plot==
Two college students, Paxton Rodriguez and Josh Brooks, travel across [[Europe]] with their [[Icelandic people|Icelandic]] friend Óli Eriksson. In the [[Netherlands]], they visit an [[Amsterdam]] [[nightclub]], followed by a [[brothel]]. Unable to get back into their hostel because of a curfew, they accept the offer of a man named Alexei to stay at his apartment. He convinces them that, instead of going to [[Barcelona]], they should visit a [[hostel]] in [[Slovakia]] filled with beautiful women.
In [[Amsterdam]], backpackers Paxton ([[Jay Hernandez]]), Josh ([[Derek Richardson]]) and [[Iceland]]ic Óli ([[Eyþór Guðjónsson]]) meet Alexei ([[Lubomir Bukovy]]), a [[Russia]]n man who tells them about a Slovak hostel filled with American-loving, promiscuous women. Needing little convincing otherwise, the trio boards a train to Slovakia, where they meet a Dutch businessman ([[Jan Vlasák]]) long enough to be unnerved by his bizarre behavior. Upon arriving in Slovakia, the trio checks into the local hostel and discover themselves sharing a room with Natalya ([[Barbara Nedeljáková]]) and Svetlana ([[Jana Kadeřábková]]), two attractive, single women who entice the backpackers to a [[spa]] and sleep with them.


The three board a train to Slovakia, where they encounter a [[Dutch people|Dutch]] businessman, who touches Josh's leg. Josh yells at him, causing him to leave. Arriving in Slovakia, they find that their roommates in the hostel are two women, Natalya and Svetlana. The women invite them to a spa, and later to a disco. Briefly exiting the disco, Josh is accosted by a gang of local [[Romani people|Romani]] criminal children, but the Dutch businessman intervenes to defend him. Josh apologizes for his reaction on the train.
The next morning, Óli is missing. A young [[Japanese people|Japanese]] backpacker named Kana ([[Jennifer Lim]]) also reports that her friend Yuki has disappeared. An [[Short message service|SMS]] photo sent from Yuki's phone shows Yuki and Óli beneath a smokestack of an abandoned factory, the word ''[[nihongo|Sayonara]]'' written beneath it. As Josh and Paxton search for Óli, they receive an SMS message from Óli, containing his picture and the words "I go home" beneath it. Paxton and Josh decide to leave [[Bratislava]] with Kana the following day. Later that night, while partying with Natalya and Svetlana, Paxton and Josh succumb to the effects of alcohol. Josh returns to the hostel while Paxton passes out in the disco's storage room.


Paxton and Josh have sex with Natalya and Svetlana, while Óli leaves with the desk girl, Vala. The next morning, Óli does not return. The two are approached by a Japanese woman named Kana, who shows them a photo of Óli and her friend Yuki, who is also missing. Elsewhere, Óli has been decapitated, while Yuki is being tortured. Josh is anxious to leave, but Paxton convinces him to stay one more night with Natalya and Svetlana. Both women slip the men [[tranquilizer]]s. Josh faints on his bed, while the ill Paxton stumbles into a pantry and is locked inside.
Josh wakes up handcuffed to a chair in a [[dungeon]]-like room and surrounded by power tools and weapons. The Dutch businessman enters in a leather apron and gloves and begins torturing Josh by drilling him in his thighs and his [[pecs]] above the [[nipples]]. Despite Josh's pleas for his release, the businessman slices Josh's [[Achilles Tendon]], allowing him to attempt an unsuccessful escape before murdering him.


Josh wakes up in a dungeon-like room, where the Dutch businessman begins maiming him with a drill, making holes in Josh's body, slicing his [[achilles tendon]]s, then slitting his throat. Paxton wakes up in the disco and returns to the hostel, where he learns that he had supposedly checked out. He is greeted by two women who invite him to the spa. Suspicious, he locates Natalya and Svetlana; Natalya takes Paxton to an old factory, where he sees Josh's mutilated corpse being stitched together by the Dutch businessman. Two men drag Paxton down a hallway, passing by several rooms where other people are being tortured. Paxton is restrained and prepped to be tortured by a German client named Johann.
Across town, Paxton wakes up and returns to the hostel to find both Josh and Kana missing. In his room are a different pair of beautiful women inviting him to a spa, similar to Natalya's and Svetlana's offer from before. When the local police force ([[Miroslav Táborský]]) proves unhelpful, Paxton locates Natalya and Svetlana at a non-tourist bar and demands to be taken to his friends. Natalya and Paxton drive to a factory on the outskirts of the town and walk inside. There, he sees the Dutch Business man standing over Josh's dead body, disecting Josh and looking at his internal organs. Paxton is then ambushed by two thugs and dragged down a hallway, witnessing other backpackers being tortured in adjacent cells by various "clients" before he is restrained in his own cell. Later, a German client (Petr Janiš) appears and begins to torture Paxton, sawing off two of his fingers and part of his handcuffs before slipping on the slick floor and seriously wounding himself. Paxton breaks free, shoots the client with a nearby gun and conceals himself in the client's outfit.


While cutting off a few of Paxton's fingers with a chainsaw, Johann unintentionally severs his hand restraints. Johann falls over, accidentally severing his leg with the chainsaw. Paxton shoots Johann in the head with a gun. He then kills a guard, changes into business clothes, and finds a business card for the Elite Hunting Club, an organization that allows its clientele to pay to kill and mutilate tourists. Paxton also discovers Kana, whose face is being disfigured with a blowtorch by an American client. Paxton kills the man and rescues Kana and they flee in a stolen car, pursued by guards. Paxton runs over Natalya, Svetlana, and Alexei, killing the latter two, while the pursuing car finishes off the first. He also encounters the young delinquents from earlier and gives them a big pack of candy and gum. They then attack and kill the men pursuing Paxton with concrete blocks.
Paxton escapes to the upper levels of the building into a locker room, where he can see police officers conspiring with the men outside. He disguises himself in the clothes of the previous client when he discovers a business card for [[Elite Hunting]], now revealed as a secret, worldwide, murder-for-profit organization. An American businessman ([[Rick Hoffman]]) arrives and believing Paxton to be another client, discusses his victim and the techniques to kill her, leaving behind a firearm before exiting. Paxton steals the firearm and escapes to the courtyard when he hears a woman scream. Unable to ignore it, he returns to the factory and kills the American, now in the middle of torturing Kana. Paxton and Kana flee the factory in a stolen car and drive to the railway station, where policemen and factory guards are waiting for them. Kana notices her disfigured reflection and unable to live with her hideous scars throws herself into the path of an incoming train, distracting the guards and allowing Paxton to escape aboard another train. Once aboard, Paxton hears the familiar voice of Josh's torturer, the Dutch businessman. As the train stops in [[Vienna, Austria|Vienna]], [[Austria]], Paxton follows him to a public restroom, where he mutilates the businessman, forcing him to beg for his life before murdering him and taking two of his fingers. Paxton leaves the restroom, boarding another train out of Austria.


The two make it to the train station. Kana, seeing her disfigured face, kills herself by leaping in front of an oncoming train, which attracts attention and allows Paxton to board another train unnoticed. Aboard, Paxton hears the voice of the Dutch businessman. When the train stops in [[Vienna]], [[Austria]], Paxton follows the Dutch businessman into a public restroom and tortures him before slicing his throat. He then reboards the train and sits calmly.
== Cast==

[[Image:Hostel chinese poster.jpg|thumb|Chinese promotional poster]]
===Alternate ending===
In the director's cut of the film, Paxton follows the Dutch businessman being accompanied by his young daughter into a public restroom of a train station. After finding her teddy bear in the women's restroom, the Dutch businessman frantically searches the crowd for his missing daughter. Paxton is then seen aboard the moving train with the Dutch businessman's daughter, whom he has kidnapped.

==Cast==
{{Div col}}
* [[Jay Hernandez]] as Paxton Rodriguez
* [[Derek Richardson (actor)|Derek Richardson]] as Josh Brooks
* [[Eyþór Guðjónsson]] as Óli Eriksson
* [[Barbara Nedeljáková]] as Natalya
* Jan Vlasák as the Dutch businessman
* Jana Kaderabkova as Svetlana
* [[Jennifer Lim (British actress)|Jennifer Lim]] as Kana
* Keiko Seiko as Yuki
* Lubomir Bukovy as Alexei
* Jana Havlickova as Vala
* [[Rick Hoffman]] as the American client
* Petr Janiš as Johann, the German surgeon
* [[Takashi Miike]] as himself
* Patrik Zigo as the Bubblegum Gang leader
* Milda Jedi Havlas as desk clerk Jedi
* [[Miroslav Táborský]] as the police officer
* Josef Bradna as the butcher
{{Div col end}}

Director [[Eli Roth]] makes an uncredited appearance as an American stoner.

==Production==
=== Development ===
After the release of ''[[Cabin Fever (2002 film)|Cabin Fever]]'' (2002), Eli Roth was met with praise from several industry figures, including [[Quentin Tarantino]], who placed the film in his 'Top 10' of the year and immediately reached out to Roth in hopes of working with him on a [[Inglourious Basterds|future project]]. Roth was offered many studio directing jobs, mostly in the form of horror remakes such as ''[[The Last House on the Left (2009 film)|The Last House on the Left]]'', ''[[The Fog (2005 film)|The Fog]]'', and a film in the [[The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (franchise)|''Texas Chainsaw Massacre'' franchise]], among several others, but Tarantino advised him to turn down those offers to instead create an original horror story. While swimming in Tarantino's pool, Roth brainstormed an idea for a low-budget horror film. The concept for the film came from a conversation between Roth and [[Ain't It Cool News]] founder [[Harry Knowles]], in which the conversation eventually approached "the sickest thing [one] could find on the internet." Knowles then shared with Roth a [[Thailand|Thai]] "murder vacation" website he came across on the [[dark web]], where one could pay $10,000 to shoot someone dead. Knowles described the website as "the most disturbing thing I've ever seen."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/78372/11-intense-facts-about-hostel |title=11 Intense Facts About Hostel |last=Pirnia |first=Garin |work=[[Mental Floss]] |date=April 9, 2016 |access-date=May 28, 2019 |archive-date=November 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117144025/https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/78372/11-intense-facts-about-hostel |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mark Walters interviews Eli Roth and Barbara Nedeljakova |url=http://www.bigfanboy.com/pages/interviews/hostel/eliroth.html |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=www.bigfanboy.com}}</ref> Roth had also met with Mike Fleiss and Chris Briggs after ''Cabin Fever'' to discuss future projects. Briggs stated "I want to make a movie called Hostel about backpackers, but I have no idea what it's about." Roth liked this, and developed a film around the idea. Upon hearing his pitch, Tarantino loved the idea and encouraged Roth to immediately start writing a draft that day, which later formed the basis for ''Hostel''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nymag.com/nymetro/movies/features/15436/ |title=Scream Kings: Eli Roth and Quentin Tarantino |last=Hill |first=Logan |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=December 29, 2005 |access-date=May 28, 2019 |archive-date=January 9, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080109171639/http://nymag.com/nymetro/movies/features/15436/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Roth had originally debated creating the film in the style of a [[Mockumentary|fake documentary]] that would incorporate real people and locations from supposed real underground "murder vacation" spots. When hardly any credible information could be found on the topic, the idea was scrapped in favor of a traditionally flowing narrative using fictional locations and characters.

=== Casting ===
[[Jay Hernandez]] was cast as Paxton, with Roth praising his acting as "such a good actor that he feels like a regular guy." Roth had wanted actors who "who felt like guys I went to college with, grew up with, people that I know..." and added that "The thing about Jay is he’s really like a real guy. He has that quality, that very natural style of acting. You don’t feel like he’s acting..." while also praising Hernandez's ability to act vulnerable.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Dread Central |date=2006-01-02 |title=Roth, Eli (Hostel) |url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/3349/roth-eli-hostel/ |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=Dread Central |language=en-US}}</ref> Jan Vlasák, a Czech actor with limited screen appearances known for his work in Shakespearean theater, was cast as the Dutch businessman. At a casting session in [[Prague]], Slovakian actress [[Barbara Nedeljáková]] read for the part of Vala, but Roth instead asked her to read for the part of Natalya.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mark Walters interviews Eli Roth and Barbara Nedeljakova |url=http://www.bigfanboy.com/pages/interviews/hostel/eliroth.html |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=www.bigfanboy.com}}</ref>

=== Filming ===
[[Principal photography]] took place in the [[Czech Republic]], and many scenes were shot in [[Český Krumlov]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screendaily.com/eli-roth-plans-czech-shoot-for-hostel-2/4027885.article|title=Eli Roth plans Czech shoot for Hostel 2|last=Schwinke|first=Theodore|work=[[Screen International]]|date=2006-07-05|access-date=2015-06-08|archive-date=September 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928005805/http://www.screendaily.com/eli-roth-plans-czech-shoot-for-hostel-2/4027885.article|url-status=live}}</ref> The torture chamber scenes were filmed in the wing of a [[Prague]] hospital that had been abandoned since 1918. In the scene in which Paxton, Josh and Óli are driven by cab to the hostel, the actor playing the cab driver showed up to the set drunk, and had a stuntman double as him. The scene was instead rewritten to have the three keep the bags on their laps, as the actor could not load them into the cab's trunk.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-04-09 |title=11 Intense Facts About Hostel |url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/78372/11-intense-facts-about-hostel |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=Mental Floss |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Music ===
The original music score was composed by [[Nathan Barr]], who previously scored ''Cabin Fever'', and commissioned The Prague FILMharmonic Orchestra to perform the score over a four-day period in October 2005. Also featured in the film's nightclub scene is the song, "Some Kinda Freak" by [[Mephisto Odyssey]]. The song featured the repeating hook, "everyone's some kinda freak...", an audio sample taken from the 1973 horror film [[Ganja & Hess]] directed by [[Bill Gunn (writer)|Bill Gunn]] and starring [[Duane Jones]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Mephisto Odyssey Soundtracks IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10535740/ |website=IMDb |access-date=August 29, 2023 |archive-date=September 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230912231637/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10535740/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The film is rated [[18 (British Board of Film Classification)|18]] by the [[British Board of Film Classification]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/hostel-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zntq5mtm | title=Hostel | access-date=October 7, 2022 | archive-date=October 7, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007200606/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/hostel-film-qxnzzxq6vlgtoda3mje2 | url-status=live }}</ref>

==Release and reception==
===Box office===
''Hostel'' opened theatrically on January 6, 2006, in the United States and earned $19.6 million in its first weekend, ranking number one at the box office.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2006&wknd=01&p=.htm | title=Weekend Box Office Results for January 6-8, 2006 | work=[[Box Office Mojo]] | publisher=[[Internet Movie Database]] | date=January 9, 2006 | access-date=September 26, 2015 | archive-date=September 6, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906115338/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2006&wknd=01&p=.htm | url-status=live }}</ref> By the end of its run, six weeks later, the film grossed $47.3 million in the US box office and $33.3 million internationally for a worldwide total of $80.6 million.<ref name="mojo">{{cite web | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hostel.htm | title=Hostel (2006) | work=[[Box Office Mojo]] | publisher=[[Internet Movie Database]] | date=February 17, 2006 | access-date=September 26, 2015 | archive-date=September 24, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924140837/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hostel.htm | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Critical response===
Review aggregation website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] gives the film an approval rating of 59% based on 109 reviews and an average rating of 6.1/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Featuring lots of guts and gore, ''Hostel'' is a wildly entertaining corpse-filled journey—assuming one is entertained by corpses, guts, and gore, that is."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hostel/|title=Hostel (2006)|access-date=2022-05-01|publisher=Fandango|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|archive-date = August 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130830061922/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hostel/|url-status=live}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film had a weighted average score of 55 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/hostel|title=Hostel (2006): Reviews|access-date=2008-02-08|publisher=CBS Interactive|work=[[Metacritic]]|archive-date=May 29, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060529191350/http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/hostel|url-status=live}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "C−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com/|title=Find CinemaScore|format=Type "Hostel" in the search box|publisher=[[CinemaScore]]|access-date=April 15, 2022|archive-date=January 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102130540/https://www.cinemascore.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>

''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''{{'}}s film critic [[Owen Gleiberman]] commended the film's creativity, saying "You may or may not believe that slavering redneck psychos, of the kind who leer through [[Rob Zombie]]'s ''[[The Devil's Rejects]]'', can be found in the Southwest, but it's all too easy to envision this sort of depravity in the former Soviet bloc, the crack-up of which has produced a brutal marketplace of capitalistic fiendishness. The torture scenes in ''Hostel'' (snipped toes, sliced ankles, pulled eyeballs) are not, in essence, much different from the surgical terrors in the ''Saw'' films, only Roth, by presenting his characters as victims of the same world of flesh-for-fantasy they were grooving on in the first place, digs deep into the nightmare of a society ruled by the profit of illicit desire."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1145742,00.html|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|title=Movie Review: Hostel|access-date=19 April 2011|archive-date=29 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629002317/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1145742,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Jean-François Rauger, a film critic for ''[[Le Monde]]'', a French newspaper, and programmer of the [[Cinémathèque Française]], listed ''Hostel'' as the best American film of 2006, calling it an example of modern [[consumerism]].<ref name=monde>{{cite news|url=https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.lemonde.fr/cinema/article_interactif/2006/12/27/les-films-preferes-des-critiques-du-monde-en-2006_849933_3476_2.html&ei=rO0KSta-HZG-NJqT1d8L&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=9&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522Jean%2BFrancois%2BRauger%2522%2B%2522Hostel%2522%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1W1DKUS_en|title=Les films préférés des critiques du "Monde" en 2006|author=Jean Francois Rauger|date=2006-12-27|publisher=[[Le Monde]] (accessed with [[Google Translate]])|access-date=2009-05-13|archive-date=January 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102053146/http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.lemonde.fr/cinema/article_interactif/2006/12/27/les-films-preferes-des-critiques-du-monde-en-2006_849933_3476_2.html&ei=rO0KSta-HZG-NJqT1d8L&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=9&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522Jean%2BFrancois%2BRauger%2522%2B%2522Hostel%2522%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1W1DKUS_en|url-status=live}}</ref>

''[[The Guardian]]'' film critic [[Peter Bradshaw]] wrote that ''Hostel'' was "silly, crass and queasy. And not in a good way".<ref>[[Peter Bradshaw]]: ''[http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,1737761,00.html "Hostel" review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060904050634/http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,1737761,00.html |date=September 4, 2006 }}, at [[Guardian Unlimited]]</ref> [[David Edelstein]] of ''[[New York (magazine)|New York Magazine]]'' was equally negative, deriding director Roth with creating the horror subgenre "[[Splatter film|torture porn]]", or "gorno", using excessive violence to excite audiences like a sexual act.<ref>[[David Edelstein]]: ''[http://nymag.com/movies/features/15622/ Now Playing at Your Local Multiplex: Torture Porn] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011200524/http://nymag.com/movies/features/15622/ |date=October 11, 2007 }}'', at [[New York (magazine)|New York Magazine]], published on January 28th, 2006.</ref> German film historian Florian Evers has pointed out [[the Holocaust]] imagery behind ''Hostel''{{'}}s horror iconography, connecting Roth's film to the [[Nazi exploitation]] genre.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JrnmeU9HQoAC&q=vexierbilder+des+Holocaust | work=Vexierbilder des Holocaust, LIT, Munster, 2011 | title=Florian Evers | isbn=9783643111906 | last1=Evers | first1=Florian | year=2011 | publisher=LIT Verlag Münster | access-date=October 18, 2020 | archive-date=September 12, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230912231637/https://books.google.com/books?id=JrnmeU9HQoAC&q=vexierbilder+des+Holocaust | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Slovak reaction to setting===
{{Anchor|Controversy}}
The film's release was accompanied by strong complaints from [[Slovakia]] and the [[Czech Republic]]. <!-- Tag mentions Slovakia AND the Czech Republic. -->Slovak and Czech officials were both disgusted and outraged by the film's portrayal of their countries as undeveloped, poor, and uncultured lands suffering from high criminality, war, and prostitution,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.radio.cz/en/issue/76244|title=Smash hit horror Hostel causes a stir among citizens of sleepy Slovakia|last=Cameron|first=Rob|date=24 February 2006|publisher=[[Radio Prague]]|access-date=2008-09-07|archive-date=December 6, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206011102/http://www.radio.cz/en/issue/76244|url-status=live}}</ref> fearing it would "damage the good reputation of Slovakia" and make foreigners feel it was a dangerous place to be.<ref name=BBC>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4754744.stm|title=Slovakia angered by horror film|date=27 February 2006|work=BBC News|access-date=2008-09-07|archive-date=August 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130804012014/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4754744.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> The tourist board of Slovakia invited Roth on an all-expenses-paid trip to their country so he could see it is not made up of run-down factories, ghettos, and kids who kill for bubble gum. Tomáš Galbavý, a Slovak Member of Parliament from the [[Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party]], commented: "I am offended by this film. I think that all Slovaks should feel offended."<ref name="BBC" />

Defending himself, Roth said the film was not meant to be offensive, arguing, "Americans do not even know that this country exists. My film is not a geographical work but aims to show Americans' ignorance of the world around them."<ref name="BBC" /><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/hostel/blog/archives/2006/04/ | title = Hostel: April 2006 Archives | access-date = July 16, 2006 | archive-date = August 17, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100817185352/http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/hostel/blog/archives/2006/04/ | url-status = live }}</ref> Roth argued that despite [[The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (franchise)|''The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'' series]], people still travel to Texas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art43785.asp|title=Hostel - DVD Review - Horror Movies|access-date=December 7, 2015|archive-date=September 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910012114/http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art43785.asp|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Accolades==
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
! Actor !! Role
|-
|-
! Award
| [[Jay Hernandez]] || Paxton
! Date Held
! Category
! Subject
! Result
|-
|-
|[[Empire Awards]]<br/>({{Small|[[12th Empire Awards|12th Awards]]}})
| [[Derek Richardson]] || Josh
| 27 March 2007
|[[Empire Award for Best Horror|Best Horror]]
|''Hostel''
|{{won}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.empireonline.com/awards2007/winners/horror.asp|title=Empire Readers Awards 2007 - Best Horror, Hostel|work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire Magazine]] (www.empireonline.com)|publisher=[[Bauer Consumer Media]]|year=2007|access-date=8 July 2023|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119050810/http://www.empireonline.com/awards/horror.asp|archive-date=19 January 2012|df=dmy}}</ref>
|-
|-
|[[MTV Movie & TV Awards|MTV Movie Awards]]<br/>({{Small|[[2006 MTV Movie Awards|15th Awards]]}})
| [[Eyþór Guðjónsson]] || Óli
|3 June 2006
|[[MTV Movie Award for Best Scared-As-Shit Performance|Best Frightened Performance]]
|Derek Richardson
|{{nom}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000907/2007/1/|title=MTV Movie + TV Awards, USA - 2006 Awards|website=[[IMDb]] (www.imdb.com)|publisher= |year= |access-date=10 July 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202160741/https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000453/2006/1/|archive-date=2 December 2022|df=dmy}}</ref>
|-
|-
|[[Golden Schmoes Awards]]<br/>({{Small|6th Awards}})
| [[Barbara Nedeljáková]] || Natalya
|2006
|Best Horror Movie of the Year
|''Hostel''
|{{nom}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0003023/2006/1/|title=Golden Schmoes Awards, 2006 Awards|website=[[IMDb]] (www.imdb.com)|publisher= |year= |access-date=10 July 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221220161830/https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0003023/2006/1/|archive-date=20 December 2022|df=dmy}}</ref>
|-
|-
|[[Golden Trailer Awards]]<br/>({{Small|8th Awards}})
| Jana Kadeřábková || Světlana
|2006
|Best Horror
|''Hostel''
|{{nom}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000907/2006/1|title=Golden Trailer Awards, USA - 2006 Awards|website=[[IMDb]] (www.imdb.com)|publisher= |year= |access-date=10 July 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230710015953/https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000907/2006/1|archive-date=10 July 2023|df=dmy}}</ref>
|-
|-
|rowspan=5|[[Scream Awards]]<br/>({{Small|[[2006 Scream Awards|1st Awards]]}})
| Jan Vlasák || The Dutch Businessman
|rowspan=5|9 October 2006
|Best Horror Movie
|''Hostel''
|{{nom}}<ref name="Sream-Nominations">{{cite web|title=Get Yer Scream On! Categories and Nominees Announced for Spike TV's Scream Awards 2006|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2006/07/21/get-yer-scream-on-categories-and-nominees-announced-for-spike-tvs-scream-awards-2006--21857/20060721spiketv01/|website=[[The Futon Critic]] (www.thefutoncritic.com)|access-date=20 August 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190109010413/http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2006/07/21/get-yer-scream-on-categories-and-nominees-announced-for-spike-tvs-scream-awards-2006--21857/20060721spiketv01/|archive-date=9 January 2019|date=18 July 2006|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|-
|Most Memorable Mutilation
| Jennifer Lim || Kana
|The eye removal
|{{win}}<ref name="Sream-Winners_Broken-Frontier">{{cite web|url=http://www.brokenfrontier.com/headlines/p/detail/army-of-darkness-wins-scream-award |title=Army of Darkness Wins Scream Award|publisher=Broken Frontier (www.brokenfrontier.com)|date=9 October 2006|access-date=18 July 2023|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407020033/http://www.brokenfrontier.com/headlines/p/detail/army-of-darkness-wins-scream-award|archive-date=7 April 2012|df=dmy}}</ref><ref name="Sream-Winners_Movie-Web">{{cite web|last1=Jacobs|first1=Evan|title=Spike TV's Scream Awards 2006 Winners! |url=https://movieweb.com/spike-tvs-scream-awards-2006-winners/|website=[[MovieWeb]]|publisher=Watchr Media |access-date=20 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518180848/https://movieweb.com/spike-tvs-scream-awards-2006-winners/|archive-date=18 May 2022|date=October 10, 2006|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|-
|The "Holy Sh!t"/"Jump-From-Your-Seat" Award
| Lubomir Šilhavecký || Alex
|The eye removal
|{{win}}<ref name="Sream-Winners_Broken-Frontier"/><ref name="Sream-Winners_Movie-Web"/>
|-
|-
|Best Screamplay
| Paula Wild || Monique
|[[Eli Roth]]
|{{nom}}<ref name="Sream-Nominations"/>
|-
|-
|Best Flesh Scene
| [[Petr Janiš]] || The German Surgeon
|[[Jay Hernandez]], Jana Kaderabkova, [[Barbara Nedeljakova]], and [[Derek Richardson (actor)|Derek Richardson]], ''Hostel''
|{{nom}}<ref name="Sream-Nominations"/>
|-
|-
|[[Saturn Awards]]<br/>({{Small|[[33rd Saturn Awards|33rd Awards]]}})
| Jana Havlíčková || Vala
| 10 May 2007
|[[Saturn Award for Best Horror Film|Best Horror Film]]
|''Hostel''
|{{nom}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movieweb.com/superman-returns-leads-the-33rd-annual-saturn-awards-with-10-nominations/|title=Superman Returns Leads the 33rd Annual Saturn Awards with 10 Nominations - X-Men 3 and Pan's Labyrinth receive six nominations.|publisher=Movie Web (www.movieweb.com)|date=21 February 2007|access-date=10 July 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203073249/https://movieweb.com/superman-returns-leads-the-33rd-annual-saturn-awards-with-10-nominations/|archive-date=3 February 2023|df=dmy}}</ref>
|-
|-
|[[Teen Choice Awards]]<br/>({{Small|[[2006 Teen Choice Awards|8th Awards]]}})
| Vanessa Jungová || Saskia
| 20 August 2006
|-
| Choice Movie: Thriller
| [[Rick Hoffman]] || The American Client
|''Hostel''
|-
|{{nom}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-teenchoicenominees,0,5591494.story?coll=zap-tv-headlines|title=Teen Choice Awards Spread the Love - 'Lost,' Depp, Black earn multiple nominations|work=[[Zap2it]] (www.zap2it.com)|publisher=[[Nexstar Media Group]]|date=15 June 2006|access-date=10 July 2023|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619222755/http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-teenchoicenominees,0,5591494.story?coll=zap-tv-headlines |archive-date=19 June 2006|df=dmy}}</ref>
| [[Miroslav Táborský]] || Town Policeman
|-
| Dmitri Kalvezm || Butcher
|}
|}


==Production==
==See also==
{{Portal|Film|United States|Czech Republic|Slovakia|Horror|2000s}}

* [[Extreme cinema]]
The film was billed as "inspired by true events"; Eli Roth claimed to have read about poverty stricken individuals in [[Thailand]] who would sell "members of their family to [[organized crime]], then American and European businessmen would pay $10,000 to walk in a room and shoot them in the head."<ref>http://www.timeout.com/film/news/1007.html</ref>

Despite the fact that most of the movie is set in a small fictional location near [[Bratislava]], [[Slovakia]], actually not a single sequence was shot in Slovakia, and the film opened #1 at the box office in Slovakia. The filming locations were at the [[Barrandov Studios]], in [[Cesky Krumlov]], [[Czech Republic|Czechia]]. In addition to the lower costs of filming in the Czech Republic, [[Barrandov]] has well-equipped sound stages, making it a popular choice for US productions set in [[Europe]]. 95% of the film was shot on location in and around Prague, and the stage was only used for the main torture rooms.

==Reception==
===Box office===
The film's opening weekend North American box office gross was $19.5 million, making it the top grossing film that weekend. It went on to gross a total of $47.2 million in the U.S. The film's budget was around $4.5 million,<ref>http://imdb.com/title/tt0450278/business</ref> and the film went on to gross over $80 million dollars at the box office worldwide, and over $100 million on DVD worldwide.

===Reviews===

{{neutrality}}
Critical results were either raves or pans. Critics attack the film for its violence, while defenders interpret it as a subversive commentary on the darkest aspects of a capitalist society, and how people exploit others for their own pleasure: Jean Francois Rauger, a major film critic for ''[[Le Monde]]'', a French newspaper, and programmer of the [[Cinémathèque Française]], listed ''Hostel'' as the Best American Film of 2006, and hailed the film as a brilliant comment on capitalism gone too far.{{Fact|date=November 2007}} Artforum magazine in America called the film the smartest comment in cinema to date on American imperialism.{{Fact|date=November 2007}}
Hostel won the 2006 Empire Award for Best Horror Film.
In October 2007 H.M.V. stores' annual Horror poll ranked "Hostel" on their list of the 10 best horror films of all time. It was the only modern horror film on the list, the most recent after it was made in 1988.
Bravo's "100 Scariest Movie Moments: Even Scarier Movie Moments" ranked "Hostel" as the #1 scariest film of all time.

===Slovakia controversy===

The film received strong pre-release complaints from the country of [[Slovakia]], which is depicted in the film, and also from the [[Czech Republic|Czech Republic]]. Slovak officials were disgusted by the film's portrayal of their native country as an undeveloped, poor and uncultured country suffering from high criminality, [[war]] and [[prostitution]], fearing that it would "damage the good reputation of Slovakia" and would make foreigners feel that it was a dangerous place to be. The tourist board of Slovakia invited Roth on an all-expense paid trip to their country so he could see it's not made up of run down factories and kids who kill for bubble gum. Tomas Galbavy, a Slovak Member of Parliament, recently commented: "''I am offended by this film. I think that all Slovaks should feel offended.''"<ref name="imdb">http://us.imdb.com/news/wenn/2006-02-28#celeb4</ref>

In his defense, Director Eli Roth said that the film was not meant to be offensive, arguing that "''Americans do not even know that this country exists. My film is not a geographical work but aims to show Americans' ignorance of the world around them.''"<ref name="imdb"/> To many viewers, ''Hostel'' appears to be misplaced, both culturally and geographically. Roth said he did this intentionally, meaning to show American stereotypes of Eastern Europe, while the Americans in the film are portrayed accurately.<ref>http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/hostel/blog/archives/2006/04/</ref> Roth has repeatedly argued that despite many films in ''[[The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (film series)|The Texas Chainsaw Massacre]]'' series, people still go to Texas.<ref>http://www.close-upfilm.com/features/Featuresarchive/eliroth.htm</ref><ref>http://www.reallyscary.com/interview.asp</ref>

==Trivia==
{{trivia|date=December 2007}}
*When Paxton is about to be tortured by the German surgeon, he begs to the surgeon in German. Director Eli Roth decided not to add subtitles, preferring to leave it in German. The lines translate as "If you kill me, it'll destroy your life. Every time you close your eyes, you'll see me. I'll be in your nightmares every night, your whole life. I will ruin it."
*The Asian man Paxton speaks to before entering the torture building is [[Takashi Miike]], famed director of ''[[Audition (film)|Audition]]''.{{Fact|date=November 2007}}
*The portions of the film which were set in Slovakia were actually filmed in [[Cesky Krumlov]], in the Czech Republic.
*The place of torture, referred to as the "exhibition", was in reality a former psychiatric hospital in the Czech Republic, which, according to Roth, housed political dissidents during the communist era.
*When the backpackers first arrive at the Hostel, the television is showing a scene from ''[[Pulp Fiction]]''. [[Eli Roth]] has said that this was put into the film for two reasons: one, to show his gratitude to Tarantino for his support, and two, to show Tarantino's universal appeal. This scene was based on an incident Roth's brother Gabriel had traveling to a hostel in Bulgaria, where ''Pulp Fiction'' was playing on the T.V. in the lobby when he walked in.
* The song playing the first time Paxton, Josh, and Óli go to the club is called "Pravda Víťazí" by Slovakian rock group [[Tublatanka]]. Roth used Czechoslovakian pop and rock music from the early 80s to give the film a more authentic feel and to introduce American audiences to the music, which Roth listened to all during the shooting.
*Director Eli Roth has a short cameo as a stoner laughing at his brother Gabriel.
*The central station at the end of the movie is the main train station in Prague.
*There are several references to classic European horror films of the [[1970s]] in ''Hostel''. The music played during the sex scene in the hostel is the [[Sneaker Pimps]] cover version of "How Do", the song (also known as "[[Willow's Song]]" and also covered by [[Doves]]) that is played during the nude dance in the [[1973]] British film ''[[The Wicker Man]]''.
*According to the DVD extras, in the scene when Josh is being tortured. The part when the Dutch Business man cuts his Achilles tendon, most of his screaming is real. While screaming and writhing in pain, [[Derek Richardson]] accidentally brought the chair down on his toe and nearly crushed his big toe. And when the Dutch Business man is pulling on Josh's hair, he was really pulling on Derek's real hair.

==Sequel==
''[[Hostel: Part II]]'' is the sequel to Hostel. The film was released on [[June 8]], [[2007]].


==References==
==References==
Line 149: Line 199:


==External links==
==External links==
{{Wikiquote|Hostel}}
{{wikiquote|Hostel (2005 film)|Hostel}}
*[http://www.hostelfilm.com Official site]
* {{official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20090615231950/http://www.hostelfilm.com/}}
*{{imdb title|id=0450278|title=Hostel}}
* {{IMDb title|0450278}}
* {{Mojo title|hostel}}
*[http://ameerose.net/fanlist/hostel Hostel Fanlisting]
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|hostel}}
*[http://www.timeout.com/film/news/463.html Time Out Set visit and Eli Roth interview]
* {{Metacritic film}}
*[http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/hostel Metacritic: Hostel]
* [http://reviews.chucklehound.com/hostel/ In-Depth Analysis of 'Hostel' and 'Hostel 2']
*[http://jbradna.tripod.com/ Cast: Hostel]
*[http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,1737761,00.html "Hostel" review] by [[Peter Bradshaw]] at [[Guardian Unlimited]]
*[http://www.bratislava-city.sk/bratislava-hostel-movie Coverage of Bratislava and Slovakia reactions]


{{Eli Roth}}
{{Box Office Leaders USA
{{Empire Award for Best Horror}}
| before = [[The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe]]
| date= January 8
| year = 2006
| after = [[Glory Road (film)|Glory Road]]
}}

{{Eli Roth Films}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Hostel (Film)}}
[[Category:2005 films]]
[[Category:2005 films]]
[[Category:2000s horror films]]
[[Category:2005 horror films]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:2000s horror thriller films]]
[[Category:Czech-language films]]
[[Category:American horror thriller films]]
[[Category:Dutch-language films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s Czech-language films]]
[[Category:German-language films]]
[[Category:2000s German-language films]]
[[Category:Icelandic-language films]]
[[Category:2000s Icelandic-language films]]
[[Category:Russian-language films]]
[[Category:2000s Japanese-language films]]
[[Category:Japanese-language films]]
[[Category:2000s Dutch-language films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Super 35]]
[[Category:2000s Russian-language films]]
[[Category:Lions Gate films]]
[[Category:Slovak-language films]]
[[Category:American films about revenge]]
[[Category:Films set in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Films set in Slovakia]]
[[Category:Films shot in Germany]]
[[Category:Films shot in the Czech Republic]]
[[Category:American splatter films]]
[[Category:Screen Gems films]]
[[Category:Screen Gems films]]
[[Category:Hostel films]]
[[Category:Splatterpunk]]
[[Category:Lionsgate films]]

[[Category:Films directed by Eli Roth]]
[[cs:Hostel (film)]]
[[Category:Films produced by Eli Roth]]
[[de:Hostel (Film)]]
[[Category:Films produced by Quentin Tarantino]]
[[es:Hostel]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Eli Roth]]
[[fr:Hostel]]
[[Category:Films scored by Nathan Barr]]
[[it:Hostel]]
[[Category:Films about torture]]
[[he:הוסטל (סרט)]]
[[Category:Films about human trafficking]]
[[nl:Hostel (film)]]
[[Category:Obscenity controversies in film]]
[[no:Hostel]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[pl:Hostel (film)]]
[[ru:Хостел (фильм)]]
[[Category:Hostel (film series)]]
[[Category:English-language horror thriller films]]
[[sk:Hostel (film)]]
[[fi:Hostel]]
[[sv:Hostel]]

Latest revision as of 04:03, 29 December 2024

For other uses, see Hostel (disambiguation).

Hostel
Theatrical release poster
Directed byEli Roth
Written byEli Roth
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMilan Chadima
Edited byGeorge Folsey Jr.
Music byNathan Barr
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • September 17, 2005 (2005-09-17) (TIFF)
  • January 6, 2006 (2006-01-06) (United States)
Running time
94 minutes[3]
Countries
  • United States[1]
  • Czech Republic[1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4.8 million[2]
Box office$82 million[2]

Hostel is a 2005 horror film written and directed by Eli Roth. It stars Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Eyþór Guðjónsson, and Barbara Nedeljáková. It was produced by Mike Fleiss, Roth, and Chris Briggs, and executive produced by Boaz Yakin, Scott Spiegel, and Quentin Tarantino. The film follows a group of American tourists, as they end up in Slovakia where they are eventually taken one-by-one by an organization that allows people to torture and kill others.

Hostel was released theatrically in the United States by Lions Gate Films and Sony Pictures Releasing's Screen Gems on January 6, 2006, and in the Czech Republic by Falcon. The film received divisive reviews from critics, but grossed $82 million worldwide on a $4.8 million budget. It successfully launched a film series, and was followed by Hostel: Part II (2007) and Hostel: Part III (2011). A television series based on the film is reportedly in development with Roth's involvement.[4]

Plot

[edit]

Two college students, Paxton Rodriguez and Josh Brooks, travel across Europe with their Icelandic friend Óli Eriksson. In the Netherlands, they visit an Amsterdam nightclub, followed by a brothel. Unable to get back into their hostel because of a curfew, they accept the offer of a man named Alexei to stay at his apartment. He convinces them that, instead of going to Barcelona, they should visit a hostel in Slovakia filled with beautiful women.

The three board a train to Slovakia, where they encounter a Dutch businessman, who touches Josh's leg. Josh yells at him, causing him to leave. Arriving in Slovakia, they find that their roommates in the hostel are two women, Natalya and Svetlana. The women invite them to a spa, and later to a disco. Briefly exiting the disco, Josh is accosted by a gang of local Romani criminal children, but the Dutch businessman intervenes to defend him. Josh apologizes for his reaction on the train.

Paxton and Josh have sex with Natalya and Svetlana, while Óli leaves with the desk girl, Vala. The next morning, Óli does not return. The two are approached by a Japanese woman named Kana, who shows them a photo of Óli and her friend Yuki, who is also missing. Elsewhere, Óli has been decapitated, while Yuki is being tortured. Josh is anxious to leave, but Paxton convinces him to stay one more night with Natalya and Svetlana. Both women slip the men tranquilizers. Josh faints on his bed, while the ill Paxton stumbles into a pantry and is locked inside.

Josh wakes up in a dungeon-like room, where the Dutch businessman begins maiming him with a drill, making holes in Josh's body, slicing his achilles tendons, then slitting his throat. Paxton wakes up in the disco and returns to the hostel, where he learns that he had supposedly checked out. He is greeted by two women who invite him to the spa. Suspicious, he locates Natalya and Svetlana; Natalya takes Paxton to an old factory, where he sees Josh's mutilated corpse being stitched together by the Dutch businessman. Two men drag Paxton down a hallway, passing by several rooms where other people are being tortured. Paxton is restrained and prepped to be tortured by a German client named Johann.

While cutting off a few of Paxton's fingers with a chainsaw, Johann unintentionally severs his hand restraints. Johann falls over, accidentally severing his leg with the chainsaw. Paxton shoots Johann in the head with a gun. He then kills a guard, changes into business clothes, and finds a business card for the Elite Hunting Club, an organization that allows its clientele to pay to kill and mutilate tourists. Paxton also discovers Kana, whose face is being disfigured with a blowtorch by an American client. Paxton kills the man and rescues Kana and they flee in a stolen car, pursued by guards. Paxton runs over Natalya, Svetlana, and Alexei, killing the latter two, while the pursuing car finishes off the first. He also encounters the young delinquents from earlier and gives them a big pack of candy and gum. They then attack and kill the men pursuing Paxton with concrete blocks.

The two make it to the train station. Kana, seeing her disfigured face, kills herself by leaping in front of an oncoming train, which attracts attention and allows Paxton to board another train unnoticed. Aboard, Paxton hears the voice of the Dutch businessman. When the train stops in Vienna, Austria, Paxton follows the Dutch businessman into a public restroom and tortures him before slicing his throat. He then reboards the train and sits calmly.

Alternate ending

[edit]

In the director's cut of the film, Paxton follows the Dutch businessman being accompanied by his young daughter into a public restroom of a train station. After finding her teddy bear in the women's restroom, the Dutch businessman frantically searches the crowd for his missing daughter. Paxton is then seen aboard the moving train with the Dutch businessman's daughter, whom he has kidnapped.

Cast

[edit]

Director Eli Roth makes an uncredited appearance as an American stoner.

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

After the release of Cabin Fever (2002), Eli Roth was met with praise from several industry figures, including Quentin Tarantino, who placed the film in his 'Top 10' of the year and immediately reached out to Roth in hopes of working with him on a future project. Roth was offered many studio directing jobs, mostly in the form of horror remakes such as The Last House on the Left, The Fog, and a film in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, among several others, but Tarantino advised him to turn down those offers to instead create an original horror story. While swimming in Tarantino's pool, Roth brainstormed an idea for a low-budget horror film. The concept for the film came from a conversation between Roth and Ain't It Cool News founder Harry Knowles, in which the conversation eventually approached "the sickest thing [one] could find on the internet." Knowles then shared with Roth a Thai "murder vacation" website he came across on the dark web, where one could pay $10,000 to shoot someone dead. Knowles described the website as "the most disturbing thing I've ever seen."[5][6] Roth had also met with Mike Fleiss and Chris Briggs after Cabin Fever to discuss future projects. Briggs stated "I want to make a movie called Hostel about backpackers, but I have no idea what it's about." Roth liked this, and developed a film around the idea. Upon hearing his pitch, Tarantino loved the idea and encouraged Roth to immediately start writing a draft that day, which later formed the basis for Hostel.[7]

Roth had originally debated creating the film in the style of a fake documentary that would incorporate real people and locations from supposed real underground "murder vacation" spots. When hardly any credible information could be found on the topic, the idea was scrapped in favor of a traditionally flowing narrative using fictional locations and characters.

Casting

[edit]

Jay Hernandez was cast as Paxton, with Roth praising his acting as "such a good actor that he feels like a regular guy." Roth had wanted actors who "who felt like guys I went to college with, grew up with, people that I know..." and added that "The thing about Jay is he’s really like a real guy. He has that quality, that very natural style of acting. You don’t feel like he’s acting..." while also praising Hernandez's ability to act vulnerable.[8] Jan Vlasák, a Czech actor with limited screen appearances known for his work in Shakespearean theater, was cast as the Dutch businessman. At a casting session in Prague, Slovakian actress Barbara Nedeljáková read for the part of Vala, but Roth instead asked her to read for the part of Natalya.[9]

Filming

[edit]

Principal photography took place in the Czech Republic, and many scenes were shot in Český Krumlov.[10] The torture chamber scenes were filmed in the wing of a Prague hospital that had been abandoned since 1918. In the scene in which Paxton, Josh and Óli are driven by cab to the hostel, the actor playing the cab driver showed up to the set drunk, and had a stuntman double as him. The scene was instead rewritten to have the three keep the bags on their laps, as the actor could not load them into the cab's trunk.[11]

Music

[edit]

The original music score was composed by Nathan Barr, who previously scored Cabin Fever, and commissioned The Prague FILMharmonic Orchestra to perform the score over a four-day period in October 2005. Also featured in the film's nightclub scene is the song, "Some Kinda Freak" by Mephisto Odyssey. The song featured the repeating hook, "everyone's some kinda freak...", an audio sample taken from the 1973 horror film Ganja & Hess directed by Bill Gunn and starring Duane Jones.[12]

The film is rated 18 by the British Board of Film Classification.[13]

Release and reception

[edit]

Box office

[edit]

Hostel opened theatrically on January 6, 2006, in the United States and earned $19.6 million in its first weekend, ranking number one at the box office.[14] By the end of its run, six weeks later, the film grossed $47.3 million in the US box office and $33.3 million internationally for a worldwide total of $80.6 million.[2]

Critical response

[edit]

Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 59% based on 109 reviews and an average rating of 6.1/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Featuring lots of guts and gore, Hostel is a wildly entertaining corpse-filled journey—assuming one is entertained by corpses, guts, and gore, that is."[15] On Metacritic, the film had a weighted average score of 55 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[16] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C−" on an A+ to F scale.[17]

Entertainment Weekly's film critic Owen Gleiberman commended the film's creativity, saying "You may or may not believe that slavering redneck psychos, of the kind who leer through Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects, can be found in the Southwest, but it's all too easy to envision this sort of depravity in the former Soviet bloc, the crack-up of which has produced a brutal marketplace of capitalistic fiendishness. The torture scenes in Hostel (snipped toes, sliced ankles, pulled eyeballs) are not, in essence, much different from the surgical terrors in the Saw films, only Roth, by presenting his characters as victims of the same world of flesh-for-fantasy they were grooving on in the first place, digs deep into the nightmare of a society ruled by the profit of illicit desire."[18] Jean-François Rauger, a film critic for Le Monde, a French newspaper, and programmer of the Cinémathèque Française, listed Hostel as the best American film of 2006, calling it an example of modern consumerism.[19]

The Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw wrote that Hostel was "silly, crass and queasy. And not in a good way".[20] David Edelstein of New York Magazine was equally negative, deriding director Roth with creating the horror subgenre "torture porn", or "gorno", using excessive violence to excite audiences like a sexual act.[21] German film historian Florian Evers has pointed out the Holocaust imagery behind Hostel's horror iconography, connecting Roth's film to the Nazi exploitation genre.[22]

Slovak reaction to setting

[edit]

The film's release was accompanied by strong complaints from Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Slovak and Czech officials were both disgusted and outraged by the film's portrayal of their countries as undeveloped, poor, and uncultured lands suffering from high criminality, war, and prostitution,[23] fearing it would "damage the good reputation of Slovakia" and make foreigners feel it was a dangerous place to be.[24] The tourist board of Slovakia invited Roth on an all-expenses-paid trip to their country so he could see it is not made up of run-down factories, ghettos, and kids who kill for bubble gum. Tomáš Galbavý, a Slovak Member of Parliament from the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party, commented: "I am offended by this film. I think that all Slovaks should feel offended."[24]

Defending himself, Roth said the film was not meant to be offensive, arguing, "Americans do not even know that this country exists. My film is not a geographical work but aims to show Americans' ignorance of the world around them."[24][25] Roth argued that despite The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series, people still travel to Texas.[26]

Accolades

[edit]
Award Date Held Category Subject Result
Empire Awards
(12th Awards) 		27 March 2007 Best Horror Hostel Won[27]
MTV Movie Awards
(15th Awards) 		3 June 2006 Best Frightened Performance Derek Richardson Nominated[28]
Golden Schmoes Awards
(6th Awards) 		2006 Best Horror Movie of the Year Hostel Nominated[29]
Golden Trailer Awards
(8th Awards) 		2006 Best Horror Hostel Nominated[30]
Scream Awards
(1st Awards) 		9 October 2006 Best Horror Movie Hostel Nominated[31]
Most Memorable Mutilation The eye removal Won[32][33]
The "Holy Sh!t"/"Jump-From-Your-Seat" Award The eye removal Won[32][33]
Best Screamplay Eli Roth Nominated[31]
Best Flesh Scene Jay Hernandez, Jana Kaderabkova, Barbara Nedeljakova, and Derek Richardson, Hostel Nominated[31]
Saturn Awards
(33rd Awards) 		10 May 2007 Best Horror Film Hostel Nominated[34]
Teen Choice Awards
(8th Awards) 		20 August 2006 Choice Movie: Thriller Hostel Nominated[35]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f "Hostel (2006)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Hostel (2006)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. February 17, 2006. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  3. ^ "HOSTEL (18)". British Board of Film Classification. January 18, 2006. Archived from the original on September 12, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  4. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (June 4, 2024). "'Hostel' TV Series Starring Paul Giamatti in the Works (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  5. ^ Pirnia, Garin (April 9, 2016). "11 Intense Facts About Hostel". Mental Floss. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  6. ^ "Mark Walters interviews Eli Roth and Barbara Nedeljakova". www.bigfanboy.com. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  7. ^ Hill, Logan (December 29, 2005). "Scream Kings: Eli Roth and Quentin Tarantino". New York. Archived from the original on January 9, 2008. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  8. ^ Staff, Dread Central (January 2, 2006). "Roth, Eli (Hostel)". Dread Central. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  9. ^ "Mark Walters interviews Eli Roth and Barbara Nedeljakova". www.bigfanboy.com. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  10. ^ Schwinke, Theodore (July 5, 2006). "Eli Roth plans Czech shoot for Hostel 2". Screen International. Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  11. ^ "11 Intense Facts About Hostel". Mental Floss. April 9, 2016. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  12. ^ "Mephisto Odyssey Soundtracks IMDb". IMDb. Archived from the original on September 12, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  13. ^ "Hostel". Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  14. ^ "Weekend Box Office Results for January 6-8, 2006". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. January 9, 2006. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  15. ^ "Hostel (2006)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on August 30, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  16. ^ "Hostel (2006): Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 29, 2006. Retrieved February 8, 2008.
  17. ^ "Find CinemaScore" (Type "Hostel" in the search box). CinemaScore. Archived from the original on January 2, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  18. ^ "Movie Review: Hostel". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
  19. ^ Jean Francois Rauger (December 27, 2006). "Les films préférés des critiques du "Monde" en 2006". Le Monde (accessed with Google Translate). Archived from the original on January 2, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2009.
  20. ^ Peter Bradshaw: "Hostel" review Archived September 4, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, at Guardian Unlimited
  21. ^ David Edelstein: Now Playing at Your Local Multiplex: Torture Porn Archived October 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, at New York Magazine, published on January 28th, 2006.
  22. ^ Evers, Florian (2011). Florian Evers. LIT Verlag Münster. ISBN 9783643111906. Archived from the original on September 12, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2020. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  23. ^ Cameron, Rob (February 24, 2006). "Smash hit horror Hostel causes a stir among citizens of sleepy Slovakia". Radio Prague. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
  24. ^ a b c "Slovakia angered by horror film". BBC News. February 27, 2006. Archived from the original on August 4, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
  25. ^ "Hostel: April 2006 Archives". Archived from the original on August 17, 2010. Retrieved July 16, 2006.
  26. ^ "Hostel - DVD Review - Horror Movies". Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
  27. ^ "Empire Readers Awards 2007 - Best Horror, Hostel". Empire Magazine (www.empireonline.com). Bauer Consumer Media. 2007. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  28. ^ "MTV Movie + TV Awards, USA - 2006 Awards". IMDb (www.imdb.com). Archived from the original on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  29. ^ "Golden Schmoes Awards, 2006 Awards". IMDb (www.imdb.com). Archived from the original on 20 December 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  30. ^ "Golden Trailer Awards, USA - 2006 Awards". IMDb (www.imdb.com). Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  31. ^ a b c "Get Yer Scream On! Categories and Nominees Announced for Spike TV's Scream Awards 2006". The Futon Critic (www.thefutoncritic.com). July 18, 2006. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  32. ^ a b "Army of Darkness Wins Scream Award". Broken Frontier (www.brokenfrontier.com). 9 October 2006. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  33. ^ a b Jacobs, Evan (October 10, 2006). "Spike TV's Scream Awards 2006 Winners!". MovieWeb. Watchr Media. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  34. ^ "Superman Returns Leads the 33rd Annual Saturn Awards with 10 Nominations - X-Men 3 and Pan's Labyrinth receive six nominations". Movie Web (www.movieweb.com). 21 February 2007. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  35. ^ "Teen Choice Awards Spread the Love - 'Lost,' Depp, Black earn multiple nominations". Zap2it (www.zap2it.com). Nexstar Media Group. 15 June 2006. Archived from the original on 19 June 2006. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
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