"Turistas: Holiday Of Horror" is about six college students who backpack across Brazil. When an accident leaves them stranded in the jungle, they decide to stay on at a remote beach. Soon they discover that the white sand beaches and lush jungles are concealing a darker, unsettling secret. And their decision to stay may cost them their lives...
Turistas is a movie that gives a wake up call to those youngsters who think that being adventurous can tickle their adrenalin gland but had never thought that an overflow of the juice can kill.
It has the shadow of Texas Chainsaw Massacre theme but in the current plot, the killer uses a surgical knife, not an electric saw.
It starts off with a group of foreigners who are on their way to Brazil - a place with beautiful women, white sandy beaches and a friendly and open culture for vacation. Alex (Josh Duhamel) is accompanying his sister Bea (Olivia Wilde) and Amy (Beau Garrett). On the way, they meet Pru (Melissa George) and two other friends who are also in Brazil to experience the beautiful Brazillian women they have heard so much about.
However, their bus accident leaves them in the middle of nowhere in Brazil, so the companions make an attempt to save their day by visiting a cabana bar by the beach. The decision to not wait for the next bus changes all their lives forever. They discover a beautiful beach after an afternoon at the bar, but they wake up the following day, drugged and robbed.
"Turistas: Holiday Of Horror" is a slow-paced thriller movie. The beginning is just about what happens to the survivors of the bus accident and where they are up to after they get robbed. The climax comes when the other survivors reach a house which is claimed to be a safe place to hide.
There are also a few scenes which I think is gross - like, when Kiko is bleeding after he knocks his head on a stone, resulting in excessive blood flow. Since there is nothing to stop the bleeding, they use a stapler to stitch his head. Another scene is when a doctor cuts open Bea's stomach to remove the internal organs so that it can be transplanted for the needy in Brazil. The doctor believes he is doing the right thing because it is his opinion that foreigners come to Brazil to rob their precious land of rubber, sugar, and gold and use its people as sexual playthings.
There are a few scenes that are shot at night. The lighting is not bright enough to show the audience what is happening as most of the scenes are too dark; however credit must be given to the underwater choreographer for doing a good job. The underwater scenes are very beautiful and show clear water and fishes.
"Turistas: Holiday Of Horror" has nothing to do with horror. But it is enjoyable if you don't mind the slow narration.
Production Photos - Click thumbnail for larger photos
