Is Hostel based on a True Story? Honest movie review for backpackers

04/14/2009

Is Hostel based on a true story? Yes, but with some undeniable Hollywoodian drama.

Last update: April 2018

'Hostel', a blood and gore horror film released in 2006 written by Eli Roth (and produced by Quentin Tarantino), remains one of the most gruesome horror movies to ever make it big in mainstream cinema. But what if I told you that what you’ve seen on screen could have actually happened? What if Hostel is actually based on a true story?

There are many suppositions and theories that surround this extremely controversial tale, most of which make a decent attempt to explain the mystery behind Hostel. However, only one explains the whole story. But let us start with the plot first.

What happens in the film?

Is hostel based on a true story movie poster

'Hostel' is the first of Hostel movies trilogy (and, if we can say so, the best of them all ).

We follow two American friends, Paxton and Josh, who are off on a backpacking tour of Europe. The movie even starts out with a bit of light comedy, that persists as the two meet another traveler from Iceland, Oli, who later tags along.

In Amsterdam, they meet an Ukrainian who introduces them to a quite unique hostel in Slovakia, where “extremely hot women” can make every man's deepest wish come true. They can’t resist the temptation: they start searching for this legendary hostel and, once found, indulge in some lust-filled days. However, troubles are not too far ahead.

Oli is the first to disappear in thin air: he’s nowhere to be found. Shortly after, Josh is kidnapped by a mysterious guy and Paxton finds himself at the mercy of a german guy who ties him to a chair and tortures him in the most terrible ways. Thus starts the true goriness of the movie Hostel: lopped heads, hanging eyeballs, sliced heels, sawed legs and horrifying bloodbaths, to cut a long story short!

Hostel movies gory scene

Before the ending, we found out that the three boys were victims of a secret society called the “Èlite Hunting Club”, a group of perverse men who were used to pay big amount of money to torture young backpackers.

Hostel movies: where is the truth?

As soon as the movie came out, the main question on the viewers’ mind was “is Hostel based on a true story?”. Sure enough, it’s a very common reaction after seeing movies like Hostel: the fear that what you just saw at the cinema could actually happen to you in real life it’s what hunts our worst nightmares. However, in this case the fictional story has a lot of things in common with the real world!

The truth behind 'Hostel' has indeed its roots in the side-open spaces of Thai villages. Here, society is ruled by powerful, organized crime syndicates that, taking advantage of people’s poverty, lure the youngest away from their family with the promise of well-paid jobs. But what awaits them is a life of crime and abuse. They are usually thrown in arenas and forced to endure physical and mental abuse to please the psychotic gambles of rich people, who are willing to pay exorbitant amounts of money to see people kill each other.

Is hostel based on a true story? Hostel III poster

It’s clear then how all the Hostel movies took inspiration from this terribile tradition and made it their main narrative trend, adding the usual “Hollywoodian” fix of drama and bloody tortures.

But that’s not all. On a deeper level of analysis, the movie brilliantly portrays the fear of the unknown and the penchant for excess common to Western culture. As Nerdist’s review rightly noticed, it’s not a coincidence that the movie was released just when America was right in the middle of a violent conflict in Iraq. It’s not uncommon to find an hidden political messagge in horror or dystopian movies, and Hostel boldly hit all America's biggest weaknesses: highly unjust gender dynamics, huge cultural differences, the arrogance of a superior race and the eternal fear of others, of strangers, of the abyssal unknow.

Where was Hostel filmed?

Hostel movies poster

Hostel design by Fright Rags (Pinterest)

Europe was selected as Hostel’s main setting because of its fame as THE backpacker heaven. Hostels are indeed located all around the world, but Europe, thanks to its astonishing cities and mindblowing cultural and artistic heritage, has for sure the best selection of hostels.

It is possible, as shown in the film, to virtually visit any location in Europe and find a hostel in which to stay. The convenience of their location and economical price tag make them an attractive choice for travelers from all walks of life. In addition to accommodations, hostels provide a rare opportunity to learn about any numbers of cultures firsthand. In fact, it would be a common occurrence for Americans traveling in Amsterdam to meet fellow travelers from Iceland, Spain, Russia, Canada or even Japan while staying at a hostel.

However, in true Hollywood fashion, there is a copious amount of creative leeway in terms of how hostels are portrayed. The concept of a hostel, for example, as a destination for youths seeking no limitations to partying, alcohol use and debauchery is a considerable departure from reality.

In truth, hostels have a set of rules which residents are expected to observe. This could be anything from a curfew for residents to a strict drug-free policy. Cultural considerations are also a factor too, and may affect the types of rules at a hostel. There may be a strict policy of segregating males and females or even clothing guidelines. Failure to respect the ground rules can result in a quick end to your stay at a hostel, but certainly not in the manner reflected in the film.

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