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.

Even before our international clan of backpackers winds up stranded on a Brazilian beach robbed of money and passports, one of the American gals has misplaced half of her bikini. "I left my top in Rio," she says in justifying her decision to suddenly go topless.

Like we said, Turistas> does deliver. It has sex, drugs, violence, Swedes, machete chops, girls, a great beach, excessive drinking and some poor dude who winds up with a skewer through his eyeball.

The plot is inane --- a combination of cutlery, ripe bodies and a particularly angry and deranged individual. But Turistas is fashioned with directorial skill by filmmakers who obviously appreciate technically proficient movies such as Requiem for a Dream and Pi. There's plenty of quick-cut editing and anxiety stoked by a long swimming chase through underwater caves with few spots available to catch a breath.

One of the main pluses of Turistas: Unlike most insipid Hollywood horror fare, there's not a single cliched boo-scare. No errant black cat appearance. No incessant quick swell of music to startle moviegoers.