Train (2008)

Train: Directed by Gideon Raff. With Thora Birch, Gideon Emery, Kavan Reece, Derek Magyar. In Europe, a group of American college athletes unknowingly board a train that will become one deadly ride.

“When Hostel was released I found it to be an interesting twist on the likes of Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Hills Have Eyes, playing on the fear of being outside oneu0026#39;s normal environment, but exchanging the backwoods for Eastern Europe. Even back then, however, I noted the American-centricity of the film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSince then we have had Hostel II, Turistas (known as Paradise Lost here in the UK), and now we have Train- another in this unfortunate sub genre that shouldnu0026#39;t be called Torture Porn, but rather u0026quot;Donu0026#39;t be Leavinu0026#39; America!u0026quot; Because yet again those poor beautiful Abercrombie And Fitch mannequins are under threat by Eastern Euopeans who want to take their organs.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA film I recently enjoyed was Saw VI. Yes- seriously. The sixth part in a series of horror films and it still felt fresher than this film. Why? Probably because it quite cleverly, highlighted the brutality inherent in the medical insurance system of care in the US, and selfishness of banks practically handing out risky loans that has led us to this economic crisis. This was a horror film brave enough to assess Americau0026#39;s own problems.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn contrast films such as Train are contemptuous of all things non- American. It makes me wonder about the the directors of these movies- did they take their middle-American rite-of-passage trip to Europe as students- backpack around? At what point did they decide to cinematically urinate on the countries they visited? The film itself is bland, feels cheap and thinks revealing a characteru0026#39;s pierced nipples counts as character development. Thora Birch looks annoyed at having signed on- Iu0026#39;m pretty sure there are moments her face screams u0026quot;I was once in American Beauty.u0026quot; And letu0026#39;s be grateful this film was about Eastern Europeans stealing organs, because if it was about bottling charisma or likability, no one would have died.”