The Ruins (2008)

Director:

Carter Smith

Writers (WGA):

Scott B. Smith (screenplay)
Scott B. Smith (novel)

Release Date:

4 April 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Terror has evolved.

Plot:

A group of friends whose leisurely Mexican holiday takes a turn for the worse when they, along with a fellow tourist embark on a remote archaeological dig in the jungle, where something evil lives among the ruins.

Plot Keywords:

Ruins | Cell Phone | Jungle | Corpse | Bow And Arrow

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jonathan Tucker	...	Jeff
Jena Malone	...	Amy
Laura Ramsey	...	Stacy
Shawn Ashmore	...	Eric
Joe Anderson	...	Mathias
Sergio Calderón	...	Lead Mayan
Jesse Ramirez	...	Mayan Bowman
Balder Moreno	...	Mayan Horseman
Dimitri Baveas	...	Dimitri
Patricio Almeida Rodriguez	...	Taxi Driver
Mario Jurado	...	Mayan Archer
Luis Antonio Ramos	...	Mayan Rifleman (as Luis Ramos)
Walter Quispe	...	Mayan Rifleman
Pauline Whyman	...	Wailing Woman
Nathan Vega	...	Mayan Boy

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and gruesome images, language, some sexuality and nudity.

Runtime:

90 min | 93 min (unrated version)

Country:

Australia | USA

Language:

English | Maya | Spanish | German | Greek

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Ireland:16 | Australia:MA | Netherlands:16 | UK:18 | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Finland:K-18 | USA:R (certificate #44170) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Manitoba/Ontario) | Sweden:15 | South Africa:16LV | Singapore:M18 (cut) | Norway:15 | France:-12 | Italy:VM14 | Germany:16 (f) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Australia:R | Argentina:16 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

Ben Stiller was involved with this film because he is a friend of novelist / screenwriter Scott B. Smith.

Goofs:

Factual errors: At the ruins, Mathias states that his cell phone should get a signal since it's a world phone. But even though it works in foreign countries, a world phone still needs to be close to a cell tower to get a signal, not in the untamed jungle.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Archeologist #2: Help me!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Ashton Kutcher/Gnarls Barkley (#33.10)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Solto O Frango

Good for it's genre

The Ruins has it's typical horror movie cliché's, but aren't really that big of a deal compared to the overall effect the movie has. The nudity scene is very short and not very explicit, the cheating girlfriend thing isn't that big of a deal either. The only corny parts in this movie I would consider mediocre and not that big of a deal.

The acting was overall pretty decent. I've always been impressed with Ashmore since he played the only good role in the "Animorphs" TV series. I was also very impressed with Jonathan Tucker's acting. Malone and Ramsey through in great performances as well.

The chills in this movie were real. My fiancé' was so disturbed during this movie that at one point he started biting my scalp. The movie also uses an excellent balance of silence and music in appropriate sections. And the fact that the audience is kept in the dark about some of "why" this was going on is also a big bonus. There isn't an overabundance of blood and gore, but it's great for this movie. Kudos for a horror flick that does it right!