Movie Review: Hostel

To be honest, This wasn't one of my favorite films. I'm not really a big fan of torture porn as it takes off the anticipation of the suspense of what's to come. The pacing is all wrong, the story doesn't get anywhere and the characters you start to wear off on you, although it's a bit cringe-worthy to experience their pain. Hostel is quite different. The story is interesting and keeps the movie going yet the pacing is still quite slow as we focus on the "needed" character development. And the part about where you care about the characters you grow to love? Well, sadly the case is not here. I do of course care for one of them only for that person to die brutally the first go around. Obviously the biggest douchebag is the main character who supposed to fill the hero role. I'll get to all that later.
Here's the story:  A trio of friends decided to go to a hostel for some R+R, unbeknowst to them they are set up by sadistic company who pays people to torture them.
That was kind of a short but simple story right? It dosen't really get into the action until second half of the movie although it adds some creppy moments up to that point. Most of the atmosphere and shots of the film is pretty engaging, if only the story would've strecthed out more and had...let's say more sympatheic characters than it should have. But I think that was the point. For people to actually enjoy these sleazy characters to be tortured or killed in some horrific way. It's the standard horror movie trifecta: The Jerk Gets It. But here's where they break the rules a bit, the biggest jerk gets to live. Again, how interesting.
The acting is pretty good. Jay Hernandez was superb. Yeah, his character is kind of douchey but you really get to emphatize his fear of what's happening to him and around him, which makes his character a little sympathetic by his intense performance. Speaking of sympathetic, my heart went out to Derek Richardson. His death was by far the most scariest yet saddest. Josh was actually the more nicer of the two guys and he wasn't even much of a horndog either because he was trying to get over a breakup. But sadly, we the audience get to see how brutally he dies in which it wasn't kind of fair. But hey it's what the filmmakers make right?
The supense scenes were downright scary and tense, which will have you at the edge of your seat a little bit. I'm not saying the movie is scary, it's not. It just does a good job at rising up the boiling point. To add something else, if you're expecting a gore-fest you'll be a dissappointed. There is little gore in the movie. Yeah, there are gross stuff but don't expect any more.
Like I said, I'm not a big fan of torture porn. Now-a-days it has wear off over it's head with the pointless Saw franchise and other copy-cats. But this film focuses on the story if you look beyond the characters and how it reaches to it's point of no return. It isn't really my kind of film. Maybe guy's movie since it has it's fair share of nudity and blood(a little if you count that.) Other than that, it's now forgettable as it's not much of a buzz anymore.
My last word: It has a good story, but not something to remember by.