Credit: Hostel
The Hostel film series was certainly interesting for its time, more notably in the torture porn genre it helped establish, along with the Saw film series, although the creators deny the sub-genre. While Saw was more of a dark antihero in the form of a serial killer, which gives the victims a chance to escape, Hostel was more of pure gore, with guests visiting foreign hotels and becoming involved in darker, tortuous plots. Another difference between the two series was the years in which they were released and the people being the films as well, as Hostel was released in 2005 versus Saw’s 2004 release date and horror king Eli Roth behind Hostel versus newcomers James Wan and Leigh Whannell. Below, we’ve detailed the horror franchise of Hostel, its sequels, and more, including the real reason the franchise has really been the torture porn king of horror all along.
Credit: Hostel
Beginning of the Hostel Film Series
As stated above, Hostel was started by horror mastermind Eli Roth, known for other cult favorites such as Cabin Fever, Green Inferno, and others across all genres, including the mysterious upcoming Borderlands film adaptation. With the type of films that come with torture porn-dubbed films, the budget was as low as possible to make the film happen. Another distinctive aspect of the Hostel film series was the detailed sex scenes commonly associated with R-rated horror films. It also set Hostel apart from the Saw franchise and Saw’s numerous sequels. Hostel was a horror movie that featured two friends traveling throughout Europe and eventually ending up at a brothel in Scandinavia, where they and their two roommates become involved in a plot of an organization that allows those staying at its hotel to slaughter others. Overall, the movie brought grotesque and dreadful deaths for the pleasure of the filthy rich and only expanded upon that with each released after two sequels. Unlike many other horror franchises, the releases of Hostel films were decently distributed over the years.
Credit: Hostel: Part II
Hostel: Part II
Hostel: Part II started as a direct continuation of Hostel, as it showed the life of the sole survivor from the first film, but the actual events had given Paxton PTSD and his girlfriend, after complaining about the exaggeration that was his past trauma, found his severed head. Following this, the severed head is sent to Rome, where the second entry in the Hostel film series continues its gory journey. Hostel Part II follows three girls, instead of the first film’s two male friends, that meet two females while already on their trip, as the three girls get wrapped in a similar plot as the first film, with trouble starting once their check into their hotel. Much like the ending of the first Hostel, Hostel: Part II ended with one of the main characters surviving the excruciating intentions of the pain-inducing villains tearing apart tourists for pleasure, thanks to the Elite Hunting Club. The main character eventually gets the approval of the Elite Hunting Club, becoming one of them for their disgusting murder of an attempted rapist, and her apparent first act as an official member, with a member tattoo, was to enact revenge on the girl that lured her and her friends in the first place.
Credit: Hostel: Part III
Hostel: Part III
Several aspects of Hostel: Part III set it apart from Hostel: Part II, from Eli Roth handing over the writing and directing duties to the film taking place in America versus internationally traveling Americans, and its straight-to-DVD release compared to a theatrical release like both previous releases. Hostel: Part III featured Americans at a bachelor party who become enticed by prostitutes to join them somewhere away from the well-lit Strip and into the clutches of the Elite Hunting Club, who have expanded their “club” and torture practices to American audiences. Much like how the second film opened with an opening scene that showcased a member of the Elite Hunting Club killing someone before it opened to the main characters of the rest of the film. Also similar to the previous entry in the Hostel film series, as well as the first, Hostel: Part III ended with one of the film’s characters getting justice for the actions that unfolded during the film. However, unlike the other films, the true enemies of the film were the characters introduced in the beginning that were supposedly friends, although one had ulterior motives. While the film wasn’t the horror-fueled Eli Roth trademark film that the previous two installments of the Hostel film series could be noted for, the third entry was much more shocking in the true plot reveal of an internal hatred between two main characters.Eli Roth
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