Hostel: Part 2 (Blu-ray) Blu-ray, 2007

With only one film under his belt and the endorsement of Quentin Tarantino, Eli Roth became a virtual horror brand with Hostel (2005), a yarn about a group of thrill-seeking American college dudes backpacking through Europe, only to be seduced into a Slovakian money-for-torture ring where they became the prey.

The sequel begins right where that film left off, filling us in on the whereabouts of lone survivor Paxton, but before long, we see that gender roles are reversed and we are travelling with sensible Beth, hedonistic Whitney and virginal Lorna. After tussling with a gaggle of shifty men on a train, they meet Axelle, a gorgeous woman who persuades them to follow her to a rejuvenating spa in Slovakia. As the trio checks into the same infamous hostel, Roth shows us the inner workings of the previously mysterious torture club. Once the girls are put up on the auction block, online bidding begins among the club's members, who are revealed to be prominent international businesspeople. After Beth and Whitney are won by type-A American corporate jerk Todd, who believes that killing someone will give him power, the film shifts to the preparations for their inaugural slayings within the bloody walls of the warehouse.

For those who embraced Hostel’s abrupt tonal shifts and very realistic gore, Roth serves up amplified doses of both in his follow-up. Astute horror fans will find a few amusing in-jokes among the carnage, but beware, things get incredibly strong, and Roth’s charnel house chic intends to offend.