an empty shell of a film with a hollow emotional core
Turistas (2006)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:98
Fresh:15
Rotten:83
Average Rating:3.7/10
Consensus: Beautiful scenery and cinematography can't save Turistas from its wooden acting and stale and predictable plot.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong graphic violence and disturbing content, sexuality, nudity, drug use and language.
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Theatrical Release:Dec 1, 2006 Wide
Box Office: $6,908,651
Synopsis: A group of international tourists seeking fun and adventure in Brazil get a lot more than they bargained for in the suspenseful horror film TURISTAS. Written by first-time screenwriter Michael... A group of international tourists seeking fun and adventure in Brazil get a lot more than they bargained for in the suspenseful horror film TURISTAS. Written by first-time screenwriter Michael Arlen Ross and directed by John Stockwell (BLUE CRUSH), TURISTAS, the first American film to be shot completely in the South American nation, is set in the Brazilian mountains, where Alex (Josh Duhamel); his sister, Bea (Olivia Wilde); and her best friend, Amy (Beau Garrett), are preparing for an eco-tour. But when their bus crashes, they are stranded with a group of locals as well as a handful of other tourists, including Finn (Desmond Askew) and Liam (Max Brown), two Brits looking for fast times and hot women, and Pru (Melissa George), a beautiful Australian traveling on her own who takes an immediate liking to Alex. In the middle of nowhere, they find a little oasis in a surprise sandy bar, where they get to know each other, drinking and dancing until they wake up the next morning, having been drugged and robbed of just about everything, with all remnants of the bar gone. They walk into an unfriendly town, but the only person offering any help at all is Kiko (Agles Steib), who might not exactly be leading them to safety. TURISTAS is a well-paced thriller that features brutal torture, violence, and a terrific, breathless underwater chase through some very cool caves. The film also succeeds as an examination of the fear--warranted or not--that some Americans feel in the international community post-9/11. [More]
Starring: Melissa George, Josh Duhamel, Olivia Wilde, Desmond Askew
Starring: Melissa George, Josh Duhamel, Olivia Wilde, Desmond Askew, Beau Garrett, Max Brown, Agles Steib, Lunardi, John Stockwell
Director: John Stockwell
Director: John Stockwell
Producer: Scott Steindorff, Bo Zenga, Marc Butan
Composer: Paul Haslinger
Studio: Fox Atomic
Get This Movie
Reviews for Turistas
More icky than scary, with a rather obnoxious Ugly American as lead protagonist.
It would be one thing if Turistas were simply bad -- the real sin is that it's unimaginatively bad.
This organ-theft thriller overpromises and underdelivers, falling prey to the typical perils of the genre: few moments of true suspense and laboriously telegraphed plotting.
Brazil's tourist industry gets a bad rap in this horror-lite shocker that might just leave you rooting for the bad guy.
What's infuriating about Turistas is that it's slick, gorgeously shot and riddled with brilliantly crafted set-pieces.
[Director] Stockwell delivers too little of the dread and titillation this genre prescribes.
Give Turistas, the edgy, unnerving, graphically violent South American vacation movie full of sex-hungry young adults and horror, credit for knowing full well not only what kind of entertainment it is, but for delivering the goods.
Although quite pleasing to look at for a while -- lush jungles, gorgeous water features, bare young flesh all over the place -- the film is spiritually misshapen from the get-go.
With a plot Frankensteined from the remains of "Hostel", "The Descent" and "Wolf Creek", "Turistas" was clearly never going to be on anyone's 10 best list.
John Stockwell would rather have 9,000 shots of Melissa George in a bikini than be caught dead telling a story.
It's a film that's more likely to leave you confused and angry than frightened or inspired that something positive is happening in the horror genre.
Consider it a modern spin on Deliverance, with no squealing like a pig -- just squeals of frightful excitement.
If the filmmakers were trying to scare American kids into cultural isolationism, this would be a pretty good piece of propaganda for the cause.
Latest News for Turistas
April 03, 2008:
Box Office Guru Preview: Clooney Suits Up For Football Fun
George Clooney, the Mayor McCheese of Hollywood, leaves behind Oscar season and returns to the big screen with lighter fare with the period sports comedy Leatherheads. More...
February 11, 2008:
Bo Zenga Doing Monster Mash with Stan Helsing
The masses have spoken, and according to Meet the Spartans' grosses, they apparently want more spoof movies -- something Bo Zenga is ready and willing to provide. More...
November 29, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Mr. Skywalker and Ms. Storm in New Thriller
Only one new film ventures into wide release. Studios typically avoid opening worthwhile pics during the weekend after the Thanksgiving frame since moviegoing subsides and... More...
January 11, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Can Sony "Stomp" the "Museum?"
Can Ben Stiller and his living artifacts four-peat at the top of the North American box office, or will one of the new releases take the crown over the four-day Dr. Martin... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Fresh Links
Featured

Take a look at MSN's choices for the Top 10 films of 2009.

Last week, Moviefone offered us their worst films of the 2000s. Now see their 40 best!

Hollywood.com explores why QT's characters resonate so well with audiences.

The Me and Orson Welles star answers reader questions on TIME.com.

Click through to see which movies BuzzSugar placed in their Best-of-Decade list!
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic


