The Ruins came out in 2008 to average reviews. It just seemed like it flew under the radar and gained a bit more traction as time went on, especially with its Netflix release.
I used to watch it a lot as it was an easy going mid-movie to put on while doing something else.
The premise revolves around a new idea in mainstream horror, that had many Z movies use beforehand : killer plants.
We follow a group of American tourists in Mexico as they decide to go on a hike to visit an ancient temple off the beaten path.
The cast is decent, the effects work and the location is beautiful.
The beauty of decay
There is something inherently sinister about ancient ruins that works very well with the horror genre.
Using a Mayan temple for it seemed new at the time, and it is a solid visual aid.
It’s in the middle of the jungle, so no phone signals, it’s difficult to get there, so you get to know more of the characters along the way, and the vegetation is absolutely everywhere, so there is no real rest for them.
It’s unsettling in the best of ways as the vines can easily enter your body through your wounds and just crawl in there. The horror resides in your imagination recreating the feeling of them being pulled out. Or moving. And it’s gruesome.
Plus they make fun of you, so there’s that. I love a taunting monster, even of the leafy variety.
A failed spin-off premise ?
The fun thing the 2000s did was include an alternate ending to some of its movies.
This one is no exception.
Amy either leaves and manages to survive, only to find that she was contaminated and then the Greek tourists followed their map and found the pyramid only to probably get killed as well after the end credits. Or you get the ending with Amy’s grave in the USA with those vines growing on it, making her the Patient Zero for a probable American invasion.
I’m glad The Ruins never got a sequel, as it sadly bombed at the box office, but left an open ended ending.
This left its small fandom speculating instead of having to suffer through a poorly acted first-draft script abomination.
I choose to believe they crossed to America, and spread from there. One wound at a time.
While it’s not the best movie ever made, it’s still a decent watch.
My rating : 3/5 bats
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