The Ruins

Horror adventure in the Mayan jungle

RELEASED IN 2008 and directed by Carter Smith based on Scott B. Smith’s novel, "The Ruins" refuses to make the mistake of too many conventional horror flicks by NOT going over-the-top with the situation, the "monster" or the horrific thrills; films that do so are usually more goofy than horrifying. Take the ending of "The Ruins,” which is different than the book and, in my opinion, better: In a typical horror movie there would've been a wild (i.e. thrilling but totally unbelievable) vehicle pursuit by the Mayans; not here. It's the BELIEVABILITY of "The Ruins" that makes it effective, which is reinforced by the acting of the five protagonists.

Speaking of whom, the main cast consists of Jonathan Tucker as Jeff, Laura Ramsey as Stacy, Jena Malone as Amy, Shawn Ashmore as Eric and Joe Anderson as Mathias, the German. The two girls and Tucker (Jeff) especially stand out. I found these protagonists likable and fairly fleshed-out for a 90-minute horror flick. For one, they're not the typical frat trash you see in so many horror flicks. Secondly, we see signs of character again and again, which I detail below.

Critics complain that the antagonists are decidedly un-scary, but that's one of the main points of the movie. Like 1963's "The Birds," it takes something we see every day and are NOT scared of and turns it/them into a source of horror.

One memorable scene is when Stacy and Amy are in the dark bowels of the pyramid searching for a cell phone they keep hearing. What they discover is equal parts shocking, surreal and amazing (more on this below). Another memorable sequence is when Jeff & Eric are forced to perform a gruesome operation. The climax is also well-done and suspenseful.

While the story takes place on the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, it was surprisingly shot at Gold Coast and Tamborine Mountain, Australia, just south of Brisbane, which is on the East coast. In any case, the locations are spectacular....

Just a solid horror-movie I come back to this horror-movie over and over, and it is enjoyable on each rewatch. The "monster" for lack of a better word, is very engaging, the characters' plight feels real and grounded.

The premise is wild, the claustrophobia needed for this sort of horror-movie works well, and the desperation brought by the tension of the story just lands really well. It is a solid pick of a horror-movie, and I highly recommend it.