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Hostel: Part II (2007)

Director: Eli Roth

Time Out rating

Average user rating

22 reviews

Synopsis

In this violent horror sequel, three teenage American girls embark on the holiday of a lifetime backpacking around Europe. Their dream trip turns into a nightmare however, when they find themselves becoming the victims of rich and powerful men who enjoy administering pain and torture.

Movie review

From Time Out London

For all its jokey, fanboy indulgences, Eli Roth’s original slaughterhouse satire did achieve a bleak, visceral intensity. In this boring, blood-drenched sequel, three female American backpackers – party girl Whitney (Bijou Phillips), naive nerd Lorna (Heather Matarazzo) and sensible heiress Beth (Lauren German) – are lured to the same Slovakian torture factory, where flesh-ripping power-tools and Countess Báthory-style blood-baths await them. Meanwhile, a mobile phone auction, complete with photos of the potential victims, attracts wealthy clients who are jaded thrill-seeking sadists with an appetite for human flesh – literally so in the case of ‘Cannibal Holocaust’ director Ruggero Deodato’s lip-smacking cameo.

Once again, Roth is torn between two conflicting impulses: a sly subversion of our worst expectations and an adolescent delight in taboo-breaking. So, on the one hand we have an ‘equal opportunities’ policy that admits women-torturers, and on the other we have the callous killing of children. The female victims are less convincingly drawn than their fleshed-out male abusers – boorish braggart Todd (Richard Burgi) and wimpy wife-hater Stuart (Roger Bart) – although neither man conforms to type. Roth constantly emphasises the Elite Club members’ abuse of money and power, and indeed we identify masochistically with the victims’ suffering rather than the torturers’ sadistic pleasure. Yet there is nothing here that intelligently explores, still less justifies, the writer-director’s dubious assertion that ‘everybody has some side of them that wants to control or abuse another person.’ Although this slow, opportunistic sequel is better written and directed than its predecessor, Roth still talks a better film than he makes. He needs to jettison the geeky in-jokes, grow up and move on.

Author: Nigel Floyd 2007-06-26 11:08:32

Time Out London Issue 1923: June 27-July July 3 2007

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User reviews of this film

mr.mike said...

Posted on Jan 02 2008 01:36 Decent as a rental or pay-per-view. True gorehounds may be somewhat disappointed.

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Rob Cordiner said...

Posted on Dec 27 2007 06:26 Sequel ? Better than the 1st....? Not a hope in HELL !!! U started as you did in all your movies... Brilliant ! Hollywood has now taken over.

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Rob Cordiner said...

Posted on Dec 27 2007 05:58 Wot a load of Americanized CRAP ! Cencored gore, cheap theatrics, cheaper actors/actressess and worst of all, A slap in the face for Tarantino movie fans !!! How dare you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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gay said...

Posted on Aug 03 2007 16:40 ITS GAYY

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sabrina said...

Posted on Aug 01 2007 14:16 dis waz a wiked and a scary film i was shittin in ma pants dey cut da skin in front of ya man all da blood drippin out as if it was a chiken cuttin it in pieces dis is a doctors film

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gigi said...

Posted on Jul 19 2007 11:26 o my word! this has to be the best movie i have ever seen. it was so scary. the perfect horror movie! must see

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Emma said...

Posted on Jul 13 2007 15:47 omg it was gud, very gruesome, alot of oh my gods when things got cut off and slashed. but i would recommend

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jess said...

Posted on Jul 10 2007 16:20 it was ok, but no were near as good as the first!!

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anon.. said...

Posted on Jul 09 2007 16:16 the film was grusome and gory, but the plot wasnt as good as the first, bits of it was predictable. but my boyfriend wanted more gore.. not bad, but could be better.

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jordan said...

Posted on Jul 08 2007 16:20 it was disgusting! but still a gd film.

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Anita said...

Posted on Jul 08 2007 10:22 amazing, gruesome and gourey luved it it was 1 of da best films i have ever seen in my whole life, really brill i would defo recommend it 2 anyone between 18 and 30 its ace!
xxxx

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Lauren said...

Posted on Jul 06 2007 18:33 omg wat a disapointment !!!!! they sudda left it with the first one, not nearly as grusm as the 1st . such a shame i was looking forward 2 this one !

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Richard said...

Posted on Jul 06 2007 18:00 it was ok,but not as good as the original

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mark plymouth said...

Posted on Jul 06 2007 17:55 much better than the first one

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jamie said...

Posted on Jul 05 2007 20:52 i didnt like it

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