I am aware that I have been on about this since 2005 & don’t necessarily have new stuff to say but I don’t know what to tell you when I love a movie I love it with my whole chest
The relationship between the narrative of Hostel & objectification is SO fascinating. I’ve always been booed off the stage when I call these movies feminist but hey *insert the “they hated Jesus because he told the truth” meme*
The way that the boys are introduced as objectifying women & josh even refers to the whorehouse as “paying to do whatever you want to someone” & questions the safety / consent of a BDSM situation while the other men are just entertained - the way that the German doctor gropes josh after talking about how it’s human nature to eat meat & Paxton reasserts himself as vegetarian - the entire scene between Alexei & the German doctor discussing their young daughters - it’s all so… forgive me for the wording… delicious.
it’s true that there’s not one clear direct message but that’s because Hostel treats its story as a conversation with the audience not a lecture. it’s a commentary on a lot of things - sexual violence, objectification, later in the movie classism, American entitlement, foreign dangers - there’s a lot to be unpacked & it drives me nuts when people treat the movie like it treats any of its subject matter as one dimensional just because it refuses to spoon feed moral lessons & instead chooses to discuss subjects through story.
don’t get me wrong I actually love torture porn horror & think art that exists purely to showcase special effects & tell stories of meaningless violence for fun is worthwhile by its own merit & should be allowed to exist because I’m not a fucking puritan BUT
I hate that “torture porn” is so often used as a dismissive as if objectification & violence & sex & consumption cannot be used as meaningful narrative tools to break down societal views of human beings. Hostel is basically always at the center of these debates & used as a prime example of “meaningless torture porn schlock” - & again - I think “meaningless torture porn schlock” is fine & should be allowed to exist - but it’s crazy that such a purposeful film is so widely misunderstood.
anyway they don’t get you like I do hostel 2005 my beloved