Very recently, anti-tourism movements have emerged in popular tourist destinations such as Barcelona, with locals protesting the detrimental effects of mass tourism on their communities. The long-term environmental, cultural, and demographic harm inflicted by hordes of foreigners is not offset by short-term financial gains. Against this backdrop, the 2006 horror thriller film Turistas takes on a more disturbing connotation than it did at the time of its premiere.
The ščpz revolves around Alex, played by Josh Duhamel, who accompanies his sister Bea (played by Olivia Wilde) and her best friend Amy (played by Beau Garrett) on a backpacking trip in Brazil. When their bus crashes in a bizarre accident, they meet other Western tourists: Portuguese-speaking Pru (played by Melissa George), and two party-loving Britons, Finn (played by Desmond Askew) and Liam (played by Max Brown). Instead of waiting for the next bus, they decide to spend some time at a nearby beach and party at the bar. The following morning, they realise that they've been drugged and robbed, and experience hostility from the locals. A friendly local youth named Kiko (played by Agles Steib) offers to take them to his uncle's house deep in the jungle, where they discover that the compound is an organ-harvesting facility run by Zamora (Miguel Leonardi), a physician who blames rich foreigners for exploiting impoverished Brazilians and seeks revenge in the most extreme ways possible.
Turistas was made on a relatively small budget but attracted attention due to its plot similarities with Hostel, another film about Western tourists' vacations gone horribly wrong. Both films were criticized as exploitative and nothing more than torture porn. Directed by John Stockwell, known for his escapist films that showcased beautiful scenery and young, attractive casts in swimsuits or skimpy clothes, Turistas received an R-rating, allowing the director to display explicit violence and some nudity.
Despite its exploitative nature, *Turistas? starts well, with Stockwell effectively utilizing Brazilian locations and a young, attractive cast delivering adequate performances in their one-dimensional roles. The script builds tension well, signalling that the adventure of these hedonistic backpackers will not end well. However, the film falls apart in its second half, as Stockwell's night-time shooting makes action scenes confusing and the plot resolution relies on some unconvincing twists.
The most intriguing aspect of Turistas is its underlying socio-political message about Western exploitation of the Third World, a theme that was particularly relevant during the escalation of the Iraq War and the global rise of anti-American sentiment. However, this message is compromised by the villain's cartoonish portrayal and the script's clumsy attempts to depict Brazilian characters with more nuance.
Turistas may not be memorable or meet the standards needed to become a classic, but it provides solid hour-and-a-half entertainment for most audiences and offers some food for thought on increasingly relevant socio-economic and geopolitical issues.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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