Turistas
While traveling on vacation through the country of Northeastern of Brazil by bus, the American Alex Trubituan, his sister Bea Tribituan and their friend Amy Harrington meet the also foreigners Pru Stagler, Finn Davies and Liam Kuller after an accident with their bus. They follow a track through the woods and find a hidden paradisiacal beach. They decide to stay in the place drinking beer and dancing funk and parting with the locals and they meet the amicable Brazilian teenager Kiko. They are drugged with "Boa Noite, Cinderela" (Ruffies, literal translation: "Good Night, Cinderella" - a trick used by smalltime crooks to steal naive people) and when they wake up, they are practically naked, with all their belongings, clothes, money, jewels, passports, backpacks etc. stolen. They walk to a small village trying to find a police station, they get into trouble with the dwellers and they are helped by their acquaintance Kiko, who leads them to his uncle's isolated well-equipped cabin in the woods to wait for the next bus two days later. Along the night, Kiko's "uncle" arrives with his friends and the group discloses the sinister intentions of the newcomers.
Working with a modest budget of $10.0M, the film achieved a modest success with $14.7M in global revenue (+47% profit margin).
1 win & 1 nomination
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Turistas (2006) exhibits precise narrative architecture, characteristic of John Stockwell's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 33 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.2, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Carefree American backpackers party on a Brazilian bus, establishing their naive tourist mindset and privileged disconnect from the local culture.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 10 minutes when The bus accident strands the tourists in the middle of nowhere with no immediate transportation, forcing them off their planned tourist route.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 23 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to The group chooses to go to an isolated beach bar with Kiko and other locals, leaving their safety zone and entering the deeper Brazilian wilderness., moving from reaction to action.
At 45 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 48% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat The group wakes up robbed of everything - passports, money, belongings. The false paradise reveals itself as a trap. Stakes escalate from inconvenience to survival., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 68 minutes (73% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The group is captured and taken to an underwater cave surgery room. Finn is killed, organs harvested. The tourists face literal death as commodities., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 74 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Alex realizes they must navigate the underwater cave system to escape. They choose to dive into the unknown rather than wait for death., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Turistas's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Turistas against these established plot points, we can identify how John Stockwell utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Turistas within the horror genre.
John Stockwell's Structural Approach
Among the 4 John Stockwell films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.5, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Turistas takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete John Stockwell filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional horror films include Lake Placid, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Cat's Eye. For more John Stockwell analyses, see Into the Blue, Crazy/Beautiful and Blue Crush.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Carefree American backpackers party on a Brazilian bus, establishing their naive tourist mindset and privileged disconnect from the local culture.
Theme
A local passenger warns about trusting strangers in unfamiliar places, foreshadowing the theme of tourists as vulnerable prey in foreign lands.
Worldbuilding
Introduction of the group dynamics: Alex, his sister Bea, friend Amy, Brit Liam, and Australians Finn and Pru. Their bus crashes on a remote Brazilian road.
Disruption
The bus accident strands the tourists in the middle of nowhere with no immediate transportation, forcing them off their planned tourist route.
Resistance
Kiko, a friendly local, offers to take them to a beach paradise. The group debates trusting him but ultimately follows, seeking shelter and fun.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The group chooses to go to an isolated beach bar with Kiko and other locals, leaving their safety zone and entering the deeper Brazilian wilderness.
Mirror World
Alex connects with Pru romantically, and the group bonds with locals, creating relationships that will test their judgment and humanity.
Premise
Beach paradise delivers on the promise: partying, drinking, swimming. The tourists enjoy their adventure, unaware they're being drugged and set up.
Midpoint
The group wakes up robbed of everything - passports, money, belongings. The false paradise reveals itself as a trap. Stakes escalate from inconvenience to survival.
Opposition
Attempting to get help, they're lured to an isolated cabin. They discover they're being hunted for organ harvesting by Zamani, who sees tourists as privileged oppressors deserving exploitation.
Collapse
The group is captured and taken to an underwater cave surgery room. Finn is killed, organs harvested. The tourists face literal death as commodities.
Crisis
Trapped in underwater caves, separated and hunted, the survivors process their dire situation and transformation from tourists to prey.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Alex realizes they must navigate the underwater cave system to escape. They choose to dive into the unknown rather than wait for death.
Synthesis
Desperate underwater escape through cave system. Pru and Liam die. Alex and Bea fight and kill Zamani, finally reaching the ocean and freedom.
Transformation
Alex and Bea emerge from the ocean, traumatized survivors. The carefree tourists are gone, replaced by people who understand their vulnerability and the cost of naivety.