Day 18: The Ruins (2008)

A Month of Horror

I have always wanted to do a marathon of "HORROR" throughout the month of October, one where I would revisit a new horror movie every day from the first to the thirty-first.  I will revisit the classics as well as new entries into the canon.  There are many movies that define this time of year, and I hope to showcase 31 of them this month...

October 18: The Ruins (2008)

"The Ruins" tells the story of two American couples in the midst of transitioning from high school into the world of adulthood during a trip to South America.  Based on a novel by Scott Smith (who also wrote the novel and Academy Award nominated screenplay for Sam Raimi's crime thriller "A Simple Plan") "The Ruins" really is a movie unlike many others, and seems to constantly zig in the story, when you expect it to zag.

The spine of this film easily lies on the competent young cast that includes Shawn Ashmore, Jena Malone, Jonathan Tucker (who was also in yesterday's entry) and Laura Ramsey, as well as British actor Joe Anderson whose character Mathias recruits the four Americans for a tour into the jungle.

When the group sets out to visit an ancient Mayan ruin, everything seems fairly innocent.  When the locals show up, shouting and angrily gesticulating, and eventually killing their local guide, things quickly spiral out of control into a a bizarre and fascinating movie that keeps you constantly guessing and perplexed.

The obvious suspects and initial suspicions are quickly subverted and the story that slowly unfolds is one that is very much unlike any that has come before.

It turns out that Mathias was actually looking for his brother, who went missing after a trek out to the old Mayan ruins, but saying much more about the actual plot would really just spoil the bizarre twists and turns that follow the group's flight to the top of the Mayan pyramid following the death of their local guide.

As accidents befall the group, and the mystery expands, the story slowly builds in dread and tension.  A classic "contained environment" tale of horror, "The Ruins" truly is a one-of-a-kind descent into horror and desperation.  It's worth going along for the ride with out hapless protagonists as their world slowly and inevitably spirals out of control and into a whole new realm of horror.

Tomorrow, I will be going Shakespearean with a tale by one of my idols - one that terrified me as a child...  See you then!