Today marks the 10th anniversary of the release of Eli Roth’s now infamous film Hostel. Lately, Hostel seems to have lost the respect it once received in the public eye. When it was released in 2005, it was highly regarded, especially in the horror community. Now when people mention it, they seem to only be able to recall the “torture porn” trend that it started. Personally, I think the first Hostel is alright, but I absolutely love Hostel: Part II. As for Hostel: Part III, the less said about that one the better, but I digress. To celebrate the occasion (and in addition to Jonathan’s post from earlier today), we thought we would rank the top ten kills in the trilogy!
***Everything that follows is NSFW. ESPECIALLY #2***
10. Natalya, Svetlana, and Alexei (Hostel) – Hit by Car
It’s not that this set of deaths is particularly memorable, it was just so cathartic to see all of these characters get what was coming to them. Granted, it would have been a little bit nicer had they suffered some kind of torture like poor Josh (more on him in a bit).
9. Paxton (Hostel: Part II) – Decapitated
Paxton’s (Jay Hernandez) death may happen off-screen, but that doesn’t mean it’s not brutal when you finally see it. We get to briefly revisit Paxton in Roth’s clever homage to Friday the 13th Part 2. It’s not long before his girlfriend (Jordan Ladd) discovers her cat licking the neck wound on his headless corpse though. Nice touch!
8. Axelle (Hostel: Part II) – Decapitated
This is just your standard, everyday decapitation, but the real kicker (no pun intended) here is that the kids in the “Bubblegum Gang” play soccer with her head. It doesn’t hurt matters that Beth (Lauren German) was finally able to get her revenge on her after she helped get all of her friends killed.
7. Kana (Hostel) – Hit by Train
I’ve written about how difficult it is to watch Kana’s scenes in Hostel because of the eye pus, but her death is nearly as disturbing as she chooses to commit suicide by jumping in front of a train. The fact that she would rather die than live life with a facial deformity is the real disturbing thing about this death. At least she saved a lot of money on therapy this way.
6. Josh (Hostel) – Throat Slashed
The first major kill in the Hostel franchise (though not the first major death, that would be Oli’s off-screen decapitation) is a brutal one, if only for the fact that it was implied that Josh (Derek Richardson) would be the “Final Girl” of the film. His death introduced us to the madness that would play out over the course of the rest of the series. After having a few holes drilled into his leg, his killer slits his Achilles tendons and allows him to attempt to walk out. The shot of his heel when he takes a step is enough to make anyone turn away. The throat slashing seems tame by comparison.
5. Whitney (Hostel: Part II) – Saw Blade to the Face
Poor Whitney (Bijou Phillips). All she wanted to do was get laid. Of course, this is a cardinal sin for any character in a horror movie, so she was destined to die. The manner of her death was particularly shocking though, when Todd (Richard Burgi) is showing off with his power saw and accidentally slices off part of her scalp. In a sick twist, she doesn’t actually die from this and has to be pawned of to other Elite Hunting Club members (at a discounted rate) when Todd backs out.
4. Mike (Hostel: Part III) – Face Sliced Off
Hostel: Part III didn’t have that many great deaths (one girl gets suffocated by cockroaches, if that gives you any idea), but Mike’s is arguably the best one in the film. The poor bastard gets his face sliced off which supposedly kills him, though technically we don’t see him die. He does die though, which qualifies him for placement on this list.
3. Guard (Hostel) – Head Bashed in by Children
This guy doesn’t even have a name, but the fact that he gets murdered by a group of kids is pretty awesome. The cherry on top of his much-deserved death is the shot of his head being crushed by one of the children.
2. Stuart (Hostel: Part II) – Castrated **GRAPHIC NUDITY**
Roth subverted audience expectations in Hostel: Part II by pulling a switcheroo with his two lead villains Todd and Stuart (Roger Bart). Todd had spent the whole movie playing the “tough guy” role, with Stuart acting more shy and reserved. Lo and behold, Stuart is actually the psychotic one, and his betrayal of Beth makes it all the more satisfying when she finally castrates him and feeds his severed member to the dogs.
1. Lorna (Hostel: Part II) – Throat Slashed
Lorna’s (Heather Matarazzo) death is the most brutal death in the entire Hostel trilogy. There is no argument about it. The poor girl just wanted to have a nice vacation, and instead she got sliced up by a Mrs. Bathory, a woman with hematomania. What makes this death so difficult to watch is that once Bathory cuts off Lorna’s gag, we must spend over a minute listening to her pleas for help as Bathory cuts into her back with a scythe. When she finally slits Lorna’s throat (in a spectacularly bloody effect), it’s a mercy on her and the audience.
Do you agree with my rankings? What are your favorite kills in the Hostel franchise? Do you, like me, think that Hostel: Part II is an underrated gem? Let me know in the comments below or shoot me a Tweet and celebrate the 10th anniversary of Eli Roth’s Hostel!
