The Ruins

Based on Scott Smith’s spellbinding book, The Ruins follows several hapless tourists (including Jena Malone’s Amy and Joe Anderson’s Mathias) as they find themselves trapped atop an ancient Mayan temple – where their very survival is threatened by the presence of an entirely inexplicable force. Though infused with many of the same beats and plot twists as its fictional forebear, The Ruins is ultimately unable to replicate the novel’s distinct atmosphere of pervading dread – with the uniformly underdeveloped characters only exacerbating this feeling. There’s consequently little doubt that one’s interest tends to flag in between the appreciatively gruesome set-pieces, as the relentless squabbling amongst the dwindling heroes does become increasingly tedious as the movie progresses (something that’s certainly no fault of the uniformly superb actors). The film’s problems are compounded by the inclusion of a needlessly open-ended finale, which effectively quashes the vibe of hopelessness so brilliantly offered up by the book. Still, The Ruins sporadically remains one of mainstream Hollywood’s more memorable horror efforts as of late – particularly in this era of watered-down, teen-driven genre fare (there’s an unexpectedly cringeworthy sequence involving an amputation that probably justifies the film’s entire existence).

**1/2 out of ****