The Ruins
Directed by: Carter Smith
Written by: Scott B. Smith
Starring: Jonathan Tucker, Jena Malone, Laura Ramsey, Shawn Ashmore, Joe Anderson

Although it might seem like it has been kind of a dull year for horror thus far, with clunky remakes like One Missed Call, The Eye and Prom Night getting most of the attention, there have been a few decent horror entries that have managed to fly under the radar mainly because they lacked either big stars and/or name recognition. The Ruins is one such movie that came and went quietly from theatres, and while it probably does not belong 100% in the horror camp, it is still well worth checking out if you’re in the mood for something creepy. I can almost guarantee you that it doesn’t go in the direction that you think it will (unless you’ve already read the book, that is), and it is definitely one of the more tense and bloody flicks I have seen in a while.

Based on a best-selling novel by Scott B. Smith (A Simple Plan), the movie appears at first to be a Hostel or Turistas clone, but eventually ends up worlds apart. Two young couples are vacationing in Mexico, and on their last day at the resort they meet a friendly German fellow who offers to take them to an archaeological site that is off the beaten path. Once there, they stumble onto a strange Mayan temple, but a dangerous encounter with a group of natives forces them to take refuge on top of the temple itself. They are trapped with no way of escaping, and the situation gets even worse when they discover that the temple houses an evil presence demanding the ultimate sacrifice.

Like A Simple Plan, the movie is full of gut wrenching moments where the main characters just keep digging themselves a deeper hole. It certainly plays more like a thriller than a horror movie, but on the other hand there is a strong supernatural element as well (one that might be a little too weird for some). Although I haven’t read the book, the impression I get is that they’ve toned down some of the wackier stuff to make it seem more believable. I actually liked the supernatural force and only wished that it had played a larger role, because by the end of the movie most of the tension and conflict seems to come from within the main characters themselves (although it is probably open for debate whether or not there was an outside influence).

The good news is that the cast of The Ruins can handle most of the drama that the story throws at them. Oh sure, the actual characters aren’t all that interesting, but the actors give convincing enough performances to pull me in. Jena Malone and Shawn Ashmore are probably the most recognizable faces in the bunch; Malone played Gretchen in Donnie Darko and Christopher McCandless’ sister in Into The Wild, while Ashmore plays Iceman in the X-Men movies (I barely recognized him with the curly hair and blood all over his face). I also thought Jonathan Tucker (The Black Donnellys) was quite good, and Laura Ramsey (The Covenant), whose character is probably the most extreme, did an admirable job too.

The movie does not pull any punches in the gore department, and I’m assuming the Unrated version that I watched on DVD was even harder to watch than what was shown in theatres. There’s no question that this movie will make you squirm in your seat, and I daresay that it may be too much for the faint of heart. I didn’t ever find it overly gratuitous, but trust me… just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does.

My main problem with The Ruins is one that tends to come part and parcel with intriguing supernatural mysteries. The movie is much more interesting before the full extent of the threat is known. Once the nature of the enemy is revealed, it kind of coasts downhill from that point and doesn’t really follow through. I will say that I thought the final scene in particular was weak, and fails to pay off in a satisfying way, although the ride up until that point was sufficiently unsettling.

The DVD contains a good number of extras including two different endings, although I didn’t find them to be particularly satisfying either. The ending in the Unrated cut is different from the one shown in theatres; in this case the theatrical ending actually seems to work best (oddly enough, it is also the most optimistic). There is also an audio commentary track with director Carter Smith and editor Jeff Betancourt, deleted scenes, and a few behind-the-scenes featurettes.

The Ruins is an intense and well-crafted experience that deserves a little more love than it’s been getting. Although it might go some places that people aren’t expecting, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. My only wish is that it would have gone out with a bang instead of a whimper. — Sean

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