Characters of Hostel

The other day I decided to watch Hostel out of whim. When I first saw the movie I didn’t think much of it, but I enjoyed it and this time around I enjoyed it a little more than when I first saw it. (I bought the movie on a gamble that it would be good) Well, as I watched the film I realized that this movie is a high-caliber revenge flick almost like the revenge-exploitation films of the 70s and early to mid 80s. But, there is one thing about this film that stands out to me than any other horror or torture porn film.

See, this film as three different protagonists:
The typical sex-obsessed, loose cannon party teen – Oli
The typical laid back; don’t really care teen – Paxton
The typical teen who lost his girlfriend is trying to move on – Josh

The film, for the first have, focuses on Josh and how he is trying to get over the breakup he had with his girlfriend. It adds depth and personality to his character while the rest of his friends are secondary. We come to feel for him and his loss but what happens? HE GETS KILLED MIDWAY INTO THE MOVIE! Yeah, that’s right, just when you think you know who the hero was in Hostel, Roth turns the tables on you. So who turns out to be the hero, Paxton, the second hand character and perhaps the strongest of all them.

Here’s another good example: Alexei. Here is a man, though a little creepy in the first half of the movie, later on he provides insight and it gives his character depth. Then, what does Roth do? Slaps you in the face and makes him the main antagonist! Again, he toys with your emotions.

See, this is what I noticed. The characters have been switched. This is what I liked about this movie because it takes gambles and it makes risky decisions. You think you know the characters, you think you know whom to root for and you think you know who will make it… but in the end, it turns upside down.