I was really shocked when I logged onto IMDb and saw the user rating for this film at a 3.2 out of 10. You've got to be joking me!? This film wasn't even close to being that bad. I'd say that it deserves at least a 5 out of 10 average, but I personally would give it much higher of a rating. "Turistas" follows siblings Alex (Josh Duhamel) and Bea (Olivia Wilde) and Bea's friend Amy (Beau Garrett), who are traveling in the beautiful country of Brazil. After being in a near-deadly bus crash, they meet another traveler, Pru (Melissa George) and two European brothers, and decide to head down to a popular beach spot while waiting for another bus. They end up staying longer and partying all night, but awaken on the beach and realize they were drugged. After getting in trouble with some locals, they go with a man who they met on the beach, Kiko, to a secluded house in the jungle to spend the night. Little do they know, a psychopathic surgeon is awaiting their arrival, and they have been lured there to become unwilling organ donors for other Brazilians who are awaiting transplants through the black market.

I have to say that I was actually really pleased with "Turistas". The ridiculously low user rating is a mystery to me, because as far as I'm concerned this was an above-average horror film that is much better than the most recent entries in the genre. Often compared with "Hostel" (but much more similar to "Wolf Creek" if you ask me), this film is light years better in my opinion, this was a really entertaining film. The plot isn't entirely original - young adults pursued by a psycho in a foreign country. It's been done before, many times, but the tropical setting and the twisting of the plot (mainly the reason the tourists are being killed) really makes this film stand out. Rather than a slasher movie, this is much more of a survival horror film, and a suspenseful one at that. The pacing was nicely plotted as well and I was never uninterested, always a good thing. The tension slowly builds during the first forty minutes or so, and after that all hell breaks loose. Another thing that really made this movie stand out from others though was the setting - the crystal clear waters, misty jungles, and amazing Brazilian beaches were beautiful. While it may not be your typical horror film setting, it's made use of here and is some great eye candy. I also have to mention the underwater cave sequences, which were amazing to look at but also really claustrophobic. I couldn't even imagine being in the petrifying situations these characters endured.

Surprisingly the acting in the film was really good also. Josh Duhamel, an up and coming new star, is the male lead/older brother and plays the part well. Melissa George (of the "Amityville Horror" remake) is an Australian traveler who becomes friends with the group, and she was excellent. Olivia Wilde plays Duhamel's younger sister, and Beau Garrett plays her friend. I thought all of the acting was actually very believable, and while some of the more minor characters were a little underdeveloped, the characters and the actors playing them were all very good. My only real complaint about the film would be a couple editing issues. There were a couple of times that I was confused as to what was going on and the time could have been addressed more clearly, but overall these were very minor problems that had no effect on the film. Unlike other films similar to this, "Turistas" isn't over done in the gore department - there's enough suspense and sufficient shocks to keep the film scary. Granted there are a few gross-out scenes, but nothing as ridiculously violent (and unbelievable) as what you'd find in "Hostel".

Overall, "Turistas" is a suspenseful, surprisingly believable, and very fun horror movie. It has some slick imagery and a beautiful setting, plus the storyline is really well written. Some may call it a rip off of "Hostel", but I personally think it was heaps better - some may strongly disagree, but I thought "Hostel" was pure garbage. Anyway, the point is if you like intense survival horror movies, "Turistas" could be a really nice treat. Ignore the currently low user rating, this film isn't even remotely as bad as it's made out to be. A solid 8/10, pushing a 9.