I've come to expect very little from horror movies. While there is the occasional tense flick, with believable characters and genuinely affecting gore, most films aren’t Hostel or The Mist. No, in recent times I’ve satisfied myself with random carnage and screaming stereotypes and, while that’s fun, it’s heartening to see a film with a bit of effort gone into it.
Based on the book by Scott Smith (who also wrote the similarly tense A Simple Plan), The Ruins follows the story of two teenage couples and German acquaintance Mathias who leave their hotel and head into the Mexican wilderness to check out an archaeological dig where Mathias brother is stationed. When they get there, of course, there’s no-one to be found, the Mayans don’t seem too happy about intruders near their pyramid, and the weird vines covering the pyramid are starting to move.
Trapped on the top of the pyramid, things quickly escalate as the kids realise the severity of their situation, and it’s a testament to the writers that the plot relies heavily on the characters. The actors are recognisable, if not exactly star power (Jena Malone, Shawn Ashmore and Joe Anderson are the only ones with obvious credits), but it works to their advantage. Even with minimal character development, each is created as an individual, rather than the usual knife-fodder populating most horror flicks. Most of the tension rests on the heads of their actions and reactions and, while there is horrible stuff going on around them, that’s where the focus stays.
The direction is fantastic. Most of the action takes place on a square of rock about the size of a garden shed, but Carter Smith handles the claustrophobia perfectly. The brief scenes involving the kids inside the pyramid are dark and nerve-racking, and the outside scenes are equally scary. I never thought I’d be scared so much by a plant (take THAT, the Happening). It’s been a long time since I’ve been strung so tight, and while the gore was gross, it was occasional and necessary enough to remain effective. Smith’s direction was refreshing to say the least.
There aren’t many downsides to this film. It’s not going to change the world or be the big summer hit, but it’s a near perfect example of the best kind of horror filmmaking. I'm certainly glad I saw the unrated version, if only for an especially brutal ending not present in the theatrical release. Still, it's definitely a flick worth seeing when it finally gets to Australia in August.
Based on the book by Scott Smith (who also wrote the similarly tense A Simple Plan), The Ruins follows the story of two teenage couples and German acquaintance Mathias who leave their hotel and head into the Mexican wilderness to check out an archaeological dig where Mathias brother is stationed. When they get there, of course, there’s no-one to be found, the Mayans don’t seem too happy about intruders near their pyramid, and the weird vines covering the pyramid are starting to move.
Trapped on the top of the pyramid, things quickly escalate as the kids realise the severity of their situation, and it’s a testament to the writers that the plot relies heavily on the characters. The actors are recognisable, if not exactly star power (Jena Malone, Shawn Ashmore and Joe Anderson are the only ones with obvious credits), but it works to their advantage. Even with minimal character development, each is created as an individual, rather than the usual knife-fodder populating most horror flicks. Most of the tension rests on the heads of their actions and reactions and, while there is horrible stuff going on around them, that’s where the focus stays.
The direction is fantastic. Most of the action takes place on a square of rock about the size of a garden shed, but Carter Smith handles the claustrophobia perfectly. The brief scenes involving the kids inside the pyramid are dark and nerve-racking, and the outside scenes are equally scary. I never thought I’d be scared so much by a plant (take THAT, the Happening). It’s been a long time since I’ve been strung so tight, and while the gore was gross, it was occasional and necessary enough to remain effective. Smith’s direction was refreshing to say the least.
There aren’t many downsides to this film. It’s not going to change the world or be the big summer hit, but it’s a near perfect example of the best kind of horror filmmaking. I'm certainly glad I saw the unrated version, if only for an especially brutal ending not present in the theatrical release. Still, it's definitely a flick worth seeing when it finally gets to Australia in August.
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