Review of The Ruins (2008) by Aaron N — 19 Oct 2009

Jeff: They don't want us to spread it. That's why they won't let us leave. They're salting the soil to keep it contained. It's old. It has to be really old because the birds and insects and animals have learned not to land here.

A surprisingly awesome horror/thriller. Along with Touristas, another film about Americans having the worst South American vacation ever, this film defied my expectations and turned out to be very well handled, given its premise and the feeling one would have from its trailer. Genuine tension, quality bloodshed, solid all the way.

A group of friends, two couples to be exact, on a vacation in Mexico have things take a turn for the worse when they, along with a fellow tourist embark on a remote archaeological dig in the jungle, which would seem like a fun idea, until they discover hostile natives as well as something evil that lives among the ruins. Between the natives who will not let them leave the temple and the evil that is slowly tormenting them, the vacationing friends are gonna have a tough time uploading the pics to their Facebook profile.

Jeff: Four Americans on vacation don't just disappear!

This movie rocks, if I haven't emphasized that enough already. The characters are well handled, which is important, because this isn't a movie that relies on how an unknown kills young people, instead, the film very much relies on the tension and growing separation between the characters. That being said, there are a few reveals involving the evil that lurks within the ruins that are handled with quality.

This is a great looking movie as well. The Mayan temple setting, the sweeping jungle backgrounds, the film benefits from its setting. The film also benefits from its R rating. When the violence happens, the film isn't shy about showing it to you, and in fairly creative ways.

A few hiccups here or there involving some character actions or CG didn't take me out of this film. I was very absorbed, found the film incredibly well handled, with quality amounts of tension and scares. I was with these characters, who are basically trapped in an impossible situation, all the way. Good flick.

Jeff: He won't last much longer like this. We're gonna have to cut them off.

Amy: Cut what off?