“Hostel” is a controversial horror film, but not controversial in the way that most horror films are. It's controversial because the horror fandom is split when it comes to its quality. Is it good? Is it bad? Is it a cult classic? Fans appreciated its originality, violence and tension. The detractors hated the tone, characters and probably were overreacting to the critics positive reaction to the film. I like “Hostel”, but I have no idea why the critics did because at its core, it's just another splatter film.