[Editorial] “Name Your Price:” Good for Beth in Hostel: Part II (2007)

It’s a somewhat recent trend to celebrate women in horror films by highlighting them as “good for her” stories. This is a positive trend, because it has opened up a way for us to celebrate women in horror stories that don’t fit the traditional Final Girl template. When we say “good for her,” we could be referring to a woman who isn’t such a clear cut good girl - we may love her journey, even if she doesn’t always make the best decisions. It’s a realistic celebration of what we want to cheer for. And in all the conversations about “good for her” horror over the last couple years, I have never heard anyone mention Beth (Lauren German) from Hostel: Part II. I believe this is because Hostel II is underseen, especially by horror fans who might enjoy other “good for her” movies. An excellent example of the torture porn subgenre, and, in my opinion, an even better movie than its predecessor, I propose we start including Beth in the “good for her” conversations. 

A quick plot synopsis for the uninitiated: Hostel II follows a group of three female friends on a European vacation: Beth, Whitney (Bijou Phillips), and Lorna (Heather Matarazzo). In this film, we see the wide reach of the Elite Hunting Club, and the wealthy people who bid on the humans they choose to kill. Beth and her two friends are captured and auctioned off, and the man who wants to kill Beth, Stuart (Roger Bart), is motivated because she looks like his wife. Lorna is lured away by a man, and Whitney is captured off screen while Beth is trapped by Axelle (Vera Jordanova), a beautiful Italian woman they met on their trip. 

Before they are captured, it’s revealed through exposition that Beth has a huge amount of money. In fact, she has so much money,the amount is never revealed, and  the audience’s imagination is left to run wild with the biggest numbers we can think of. Whitney explains to Lorna, “She could buy Slovakia if she wanted to.” Beth inherited everything when her mother died, and she keeps her father on an allowance. Beth is treating her friends to this vacation, but she doesn’t like to talk about her wealth or show it off just for the sake of attention. She is generous and not at all greedy, evidenced when Axelle asks to buy her drawing, and Beth gives it to her for free.

Beth’s character has more layers than you might expect for a woman in a torture porn sequel. She is a thoughtful and caring friend. Even though Lorna is a little quirky, Beth doesn’t want to leave her out, and invites her along on their excursions. When Lorna is being beckoned away by a handsome man, Beth tries to get her to promise not to get on his boat. When Beth and Witney head back to their room for the night, Whitney is wasted, and Beth stops her from having drunk sex she may have later regretted. It was very progressive in 2007 to see a queer female lead, and not have her be the butt of a joke or an object of lesbian fantasies for straight men. Beth’s queerness is not the point of conflict in the story. Elite Hunting will trap their victims in any way they need to, regardless of sexuality.

Beth is smart and savvy, and does what it takes to survive. She takes stock of her surroundings, watching for potential threats on the train and at the hostel, and firmly saying no to situations she doesn’t want to be in. When she is eventually isolated at the hot springs, she tries to escape by climbing a wall in her robe and slippers. She makes it to the road for help, but the motorist she stops turns her away. When she is faced with her would-be killer, she first tries to persuade him to let her live. She tries to appeal to his humanity, and reminds him “I’m not your wife.” At first, it seems like Stuart might let her go, but when he realizes his friend is dead, he kills Whitney out of spite and turns his rage back on Beth. Beth tries a new tactic and tries to be timid and sexy to seduce him. He unties her and tells her to lay down, and climbs on top of her to rape her. She escapes, ties him to the chair, and drops a guard to steal his gun. It’s a series of actions that require quick thinking and absolute bravery on her part, since she’s already at a disadvantage and has been victimized. 

Confronted by the Elite Hunting higher-ups, she negotiates to pay them more than what her killer had paid and buys her life and her freedom. When they suggest she might not have enough money, she yells, “Don’t tell me what I can't afford, there is nothing I can't afford. I can buy and sell everyone in the room. Name your fucking price, trust me, I got it.” Convinced, Elite Hunting tells her she can’t leave without killing someone. She cuts off Stuart’s junk, feeds it to the dogs, and walks away saying, “Let him bleed to death.” If that’s not a stand-up-and-cheer “good for her” moment, I don’t know what is! Beth’s accomplishments aren’t worth less because she buys her freedom with money. Like all Final Girls, Beth uses her skills and the tools she has available to do what she needs to do to survive, proving that she deserves a spot in the “good for her” conversation. 

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