Three American backpackers are hanging out at a Hostel in Amsterdam where they party and have sex at slaezy joints. Then they are locked out but are invited into a man's house where he tells them of a Hostel in eastern Europe where there's alot of hot women who love American men. They arrive there from a train where they encounter a strange man and then when they go to the city they are stalked by a group of children. Suddenly when the group hooks up with the women there they end up missing one by one as they are kidnapped by a group of psychotic agents who torture and kill them and realise the city is invaded by these people and not even the law is safe.
A nice mysterious beginning with the psyhotic person doing his experiments we see off screen and revealing blood form the victim without revealing any of this as it shows the tools and stuff like that to make this moment truly mysterious but you already know that what we will see later on won't be a pretty site.
Interesting moments on hostel students having their fun at a dance club as well as leading to trouble with others as this was brought to life a great deal and these students acting like idiots about it all. Plus interesting moments on them going into a fetish place as it looked believeably perverted by what we see here.
A nice moment that grabs your attention is when they are late for their curfew and their hostel front door is locked as well as making noise and neighbors complaining as it has that feel by being on an adventure by trying to find a way on getting in to their suite. Plus we spot someone banging some chick with the rest coming in and talking to their friend as this looked sleazy and twisted on not having privacy and the real going on's in a hostel.
A good moment on everyone on a train having a discussion on their next destination as well as a mysterious character credited as the Dutch Businessman sitting next to them and showing them a pic of his little girl as well as making a pass on one of them whom is Josh and he freaks out as this for sure draws you in wondering if this man is going to be behind the madness that will occur later on.
Then later on we have moments on the gang getting aquainted with some beautiful women Natalya and Svetlana in a spa as the moments here look a little bizarre as well as them going to a night club. Plus there's a moment with Josh outside and there's children swarming them and ready to attack which is a nice horror feel to everything along with the Dutch Businessman warding them off and later on having a discussion as this makes things more mysterious and somewhat making you cringe as well.
Real attention grabber when Natalya and Svetlana get friendly with the guys at the club as well as finding out later on that one of their friends Oli checked out at the hostel as well as other people without being notified which has a nice cringing moment that their hostel is a dangerous place. Plus they call Oli's phone and we see something not pretty with what happened to him in a grungy area as this looked shocking and horrifying when we hear his cell ringing.
More creepy moments when they go to a torture funhouse and they grab someone there and trying to get information as they see the same jacket this person is wearing as one of their friends did leaving more mysterious feels to the story and making it more spooky too.
A good moment on Josh getting drugged and being caressed by Natalya and Svetlana on a bed as well as later on a good camera shot on someone opening their eyes and seeing deadly devices surrounding him which is a good chilling moment. Plus there's intense moments on who Josh spots on him being tortured as this really brings the psycholigal moments to the extreme imagining if you were in this situation and are being mamed by dissecting tools and other objects. This scene was a hard one to watch for sure.
More creepy moments with Paxton asking the hostel on Josh and they tell him he checked out as it draws more horror as well as asking Natalya on how he can find his friends as well as her driving him to a closed out factory as this looked creepy to watch. Plus perfect intense fast action moments on two goons dragging him in a room as well as being strapped and someone about to torture him as none of this looked pretty and done in a great intense horror fashion. A well focused moment on a maniac torturing him activating a chainsaw and then bringing it close to him which makes you cringe a great deal by wondering on what will happen next.
More twisted scene's when Paxton is hiding and spots a burly man and what he does to the dead bodies later on which also didn't look pretty to watch and can please gorehounds.
A scene that most people will remember is when an american client whom is ready to torture someone thinking Paxton is one of the clients as well talking to him along with this person being sarcastic and acting full of life in which the scene looked energetic to watch.
Then when Paxton goes to this clients room it looks really horrid on what he's doing to an innocent japanese tourist that he met at the club which is another good pointer for fans of this type of horror to enjoy watching someone being tortured in a terrible way too as this looked seriously grissly.
Great car chasing scene with Paxton getting away as well as him spotting both Natalya and Svetlana when they spot him. This makes you think to yourselves to run these evil bitches over big time. Boy is it exciting to what we find out next on what he does.
Towards the end a great vengeful moment on what he does to the head maniac behind the mess who killed all of his friends at that place in which you think to yourself that revenge is deadly and sweet.
Bottom line is that this is psychological horror to an almost extreme that involves torture and mayhem in the same vein as the Saw flick. Also seems to have similar elements to one of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remakes too. It is very disturbing and intense too as you feel like you're in the film with these people trying to escape the city and also making you think that a far off country to stay for a vacation can be hellish and deadly. The film has a good bizarre story too showing to be careful on where to go if you're in a foreign land since it's most people's fears when worried where to go on a holiday and this film brings just that.
The acting is terrific as we get a dynamic performance by Jay Hernandez (Paxton) in which he shows off a good idiotic horny type of attitude and coming across as a convincing clown and somewhat a pervert too. He for sure knew on how to act annoying at times too. However he adds a nice versatality later on when having a concerned or aggressive behavior. Offers great adrenalised attitude freaking out when he is about to be tortured and acts believeable by doing all of this. Plus shows a good thrusting energy when he goes in for the kill. Does well acting choked up and nervous in a certain situation while trying to be safe while trying to escape as well.
Derek Richardson (Josh) stood out well in his role as the shy type of the crowd as he seems to make you think that he will be the one to survive in a horror flick. Also does well freaking out when someone makes a pass at him just getting into this and having a believeable insecure type of behavior. Plus shows a nice good hearted and thankful attitude while being saved from a dangeous situation as he was highly energetic while doing this. He brought his intesnity to the extreme when he is being tortured screaming like a girl which was very believeable. He was fit for this role a great deal as well as having a guy next door look which was another plus to his role.
Eythor Gudjonsson (Oli) had a real effective supporting role as one of the foregin friends in which he showed a ton of spunk by being someone whom is outgoing as well as offering a good charming appeal to the girls. Showed a lifelike attitude a great deal to his role as he rolled with the punches a great deal here. Had the sharp looks too for this type of playboy attitude he had.
Barbara Nedeljakova (Natalya) seemed to stand out the most with her supporting role as she seemed to show off a good mysterious charm to her personality and coming across as too friendly which shoned off. Plus offered a nice wickendess to her cold speaking and laughter too. She certainly showed it off that she isn't someone as you'd thshe might be and a nice performance as a horror character.
Jan Vlasak (The Dutch Businessman) was another perfect role as he for sure came across as someone too friendly in which showed it off well onto the screen that he may be untrustwrothy due to all of this. Also does it nicely with his personality that he may be someone unsafe with his overly friendly attitude in other spots. Plus does well with his calm attitude later on during the madness which he for sure offers an intimidating personality and can be well remembered in his role.
Jennifer Lim (Kana) had a smaller supporting role but was worth mentioning in which she shows a nice innocence to her part as a shy and quiet type. Does well by reacting to a language that she doesn't understand. Plus was great crying and freaking out intensely while being tortured as she made it believeable this way as well as showing an expressionless behavior of being depressed and upset when she spots on what she looked like as well as showing a nice slow movement on herself stepping towards a train about to storm in.
Rick Hoffman (The American Client) had a minor role in the film but showed off the most energy in the whole cast of the flick as he was another one worth mentioning as he seemed to come off as someone who loves his job and acting like a bubbly type of personality acting super friendly in which he knew his stuff although he was a maniac and shows off a good strong personality into all of this. Also had the good tough looks for what he does and seemed like a natural ham by his discussions coming across as perfectly hyped up.
Oooh yeah plenty of nudity as the first half seems like a soft core porn flick.
There's full bodied nudity by women at the sleazy joints as well as pics of them having group sex and fornicating with the American men there.
We even have some butt shots of the men too.
Extremely gory and bloody.
Lots of body parts
Drilling holes through people's skin
Side of an asian girls face is burned
Lots of blood slattering
Heads smashed in
People being dissected you name it! This film has it!
The music was also terrifically composed with a great chilling classical score by Nathan Barr. We hear alot of low key playing which suits the dark moments in this flick which is right on target as well as the low rolling drumbets too. Plus alot of high violin music for the rushing terror and the tortureous moments as it blends in superbly as well as many deep dark sounds too. The odd times we hear sad violin music as this fits in later on in the story.
[first lines]
Josh: Did we come all the way to Europe to smoke pot?
Oli: Hey, I came all the way from Iceland.
Paxton: You made a reservation under "The King of Swing"?
Oli: Of course my horse.
[repeated line]
Oli: I am the king of the swing!
Paxton: Do you see a single other person in here with a fucking fannie pack? Wait, there's a guy. Why don't you go over there and have fucking fannie back sex with him, and then you can jizz all over each others storage commpartment
Paxton: We can't rail a girl that's in a coma
Paxton: Excuse me, I uh... excuse me. How is it in there?
Man: [referring to the torture chamber] Be careful.
Paxton: Why's that?
Man: You could, spend ALL your money... in there.
Josh: You... Why?
The Dutch Businessman: I always wanted to be a surgeon. But the boards would not pass me. Can you guess why? You see? So I went into business. But business is so boring. You buy things you sell them, you make money you spend money. What kind of life is that? A surgeon, he holds the very essence of life in his hands - your life. He touches it.
The Dutch Businessman: He touches it. He has a relationship with it. He is part of it.
Josh: Please just let me go, please...
The Dutch Businessman: You want to go? Is that what you want?
Svetlana: [to Paxton] Why don't you... have a drink?
Paxton: I don't want to drink. I want to look at art!
Natalya: I get a lot of money for you, and that makes you MY bitch. |
