The Ruins

Starring: Jonathan Tucker, Jena Malone, Laura Ramsey, Shawn Ashmore
Directed by: Carter Smith
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Thriller
2008

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Four friends (Jonathan Tucker, Jena Malone, Laura Ramsey, Shawn Ashmore) decide to visit a remote ruin in Mexico. Once there, they become trapped, and discover something terrifying lives in the ruins.

Review:

Tim: I had heard that this movie was based on a very good novel. That gave me some hope that this would be a good movie. Still, going into it, I wasn't expecting too much. It is so easy to mess up a horror movie. Luckily, this film does everything right, and this is actually a very good movie. I kept thinking to myself, "What would I do if I was caught in this situation?" What is so scary- so frightening- is that I honestly had no idea. The situation our four heroes find themselves in is so unexpected and turns terrifying so quickly- that it is hard to imagine what we would do. This is a testament to how creepy this movie really is.

Jonathan Tucker does a good job in his role. He gives the most enjoyable performance of the film. I was entertained by him. Jena Malone and Shawn Ashmore are both decent, but neither is as good as Tucker. Laura Ramsey gives the weakest performance of the four, but she is still decent.

It is funny, because if I was told the premise of the movie, I wouldn't have believed it could work. It seems silly and a bit absurd. However, watching the movie, you never doubt for a second that this could happen. We are so caught up in the deadly plight of our protagonists that we have little time for anything else. The movie does a terrific job of keeping us in a constant state of suspense. Terror and danger are constantly present, and we as the audience are never allowed to forget it.

The Ruins is a surprisingly good movie. It is frightening, chilling, and thoroughly engrossing. If you can stand it (and trust me, there are some scenes that are hard to stomach), you will be scared.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Ring, The Mist, Donnie Darko, Pulse