Natalie Hanassab
“The Ruins” brought in $7.8 million to the box office since its release on April 4, which seems to be too high of a number – considering its failure to attract any sort of attention from the audience.The predictable plot of the film, directed by Carter Smith, includes a group of friends on a fun-filled vacation in Mexico. The tables turn when they meet a fellow tourist, who convinces them to join him on a hike to an archaeological site. They soon learn that there is something very peculiar among the ruins.Surprisingly, the acting was one of the better elements of the movie. The two best friends, Stacy and Amy, are played by Laura Ramsey (“She’s the Man”) and Jena Malone (“Stepmom”).Amy is more on the quiet and careful side, while Stacy is more adventurous and seeks one last day of thrill in Mexico.Their boyfriends, Jeff and Eric, are played by Jonathon Tucker (“The Black Donnellys”) and Shawn Ashmore (“X-Men” trilogy). Jeff is intelligent and is set to attend medical school, while Eric is more immature.The entire movie takes place at the ancient site. This is mainly because there is a group of Mayan villagers on the bottom, waiting for the tourists to take one step off before they fire.It became extremely tiring, staring at what felt like one scene for 91 minutes.There wasn’t a clear understanding of who the villagers were, why they didn’t speak the native language, or why they are waiting at the bottom of the ruin. It left the audience questioning what was going on, rather than anxiously awaiting what would happen next.The explanation is not revealed until about the last scene of the film, when by this point, no one really cares anymore.Three words can sum up the movie shortly – flesh-eating plants. The ruins are filled with flesh-eating plants that work themselves through their wounds and infect their bodies.Obviously, that is not the part that makes the movie predictable. It is far from predictable. It’s more like hilariously unrealistic.One word of advice: if a person is stranded on a deserted island or, in this case, an ancient ruin, there is a very low chance that help is coming. Or, at least, not for a long time.Jeff repeatedly assures Amy that someone is bound to come soon and she believes him. After days, she realizes that no one even knows where they are.What is humorous is that in the final scene of the film, they make an escape plan to distract the villagers. Because of this, Amy runs to end of the jungle with the keys to the jeep, starts the car, and drives back to civilization.I feel that the director shared enough of the story with the audience and could’ve ended the film right there. Instead, it ended with two young men walking through the jungle, where they come face to face with the same exact ruin.Overall, I was hoping to finally catch an intense, scary movie in theaters after many years. I was disappointed.I would say the audience agreed after I heard one person yell, “It sucked!”
Grade: D