Friday, April 14, 2017

THE RUINS

The Ruins Movie Review

I pulled this one off the shelf this evening and was surprised to find that for as many times as I've referenced this movie over the years, I've never actually reviewed it--so with nothing better to do on a Friday night, here goes...

A group of youngsters visit the Mayan ruins, and when one stumbles onto the vines hanging from it, the locals lose their minds, force the group up to the top of the structure, and will not let them down. Why? Well the ruins are cursed, of course, and these Americans (and a German) are the latest sacrifices. This is among a string of films featuring Americans being tortured in foreign lands that seemingly all came out at the same time, and this one holds its own in terms of the gore factor.

Who SAW this coming?

What sets this film apart from the many similar films is the level of acting. Jena Malone (Donnie Darko), Jonathan Tucker (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Shawn Ashmore (Frozen), Laura Ramsey (The Covenant), and Joe Anderson (The Crazies) all do a fine job here. The movie succeeds in creating a creepy setting, and you will likely find yourself wondering what you would do in this situation--or even having a complete conversation about it with your girlfriend. The movie isn't for one with a weak stomach, as the picture above is just a sample of how graphic this film is, and the scenes of the vines under Stacy's skin are beyond unsettling.

Cut it out already!

Naturally, a movie about cursed/killer vines is going to get a little hokey at times, but it never gets so ridiculous it loses the audience, and, this being a horror film and all, the characters will make decisions that will leave you shaking your head. Still, The Ruins has a wonderful blend of scares, gore, and surprises that leave it head and shoulders above most similar films.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 7


The Ruins Red Band Movie Trailer

1 comment:

  1. excellent review , i totally agree with everything you said : )) very well acted , not your typical horror plot , some genuine scares , but some of the characters decisions were not always so bright . , still very worth seeing for horror fans.

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