A Killer Hangover: Hostel 3

Hostel III opens with a nerdy college student walking in on an Eastern European couple in a hotel room. They invite the kid to drink Vodka with them but he’d rather stick to beer which he has in his backpack. We’ve seen this set up before so we know what to expect, only this time with a twist. The nerdy student’s beer turns out to be spiked and the jokes on us. It’s a nice way to start off the film and shows us yet a new angle of the organization.  But that’s just the teaser. 

The story kicks in proper with Carter (Kip Pardue), Justin (John Hensley), and Mike picking up Scott (Brian Hallisay) for his bachelor party in Palm Springs, except they’re not going to Palm Springs, they’re going to Vegas!

In what is sure to be called Hangover 3, the guys meet up with two sexy girls and after some debauchery, wake the next day missing Mike. So launches a search for him that takes the group deep inside the a world they have never dreamed of…or have they?

There is a lot of trickery in this installment, the first not directed by Eli Roth. Scott Spiegel, known for his association with “Team Raimi” more than anything, takes over this one and attempts to make it his own. He uses your knowledge of the previous films to keep you off balance as best he can. He does well and you can sense a little of Eli coming through (they briefly shared a production company).

Brian Hallisay as our hero, Scott, reminds me of the late Andy Whitfield and brings a likeable charisma to a film littered with intolerable characters. It’s also nice to see how we do things in America. Movie the action helps the story take on a new dimension as well. 

So bottom line, if you are not tired of Hostel just yet, there is enough new here to warrant its existence. Let’s just hope it doesn’t torture us with a string of unending sequels.