The Ruins (2008)

Relying more on psychological terror rather than CGI plant monsters, the reason “The Ruins” will get under the skin of most audiences is because Smith prefers to leave the plant terrors as silent sadistic predators that—well—get under the skin of its victims through cuts, and open wounds. These creatures are merciless in their pursuits to chomp on some thirty something college goers revealing some truly shocking abilities to lure prey, and breaking down the hunted through manipulation and classic torture methods.

The plants creep up on the characters when they least suspect it and have the goal of feeding on anyone who enters into the realm of the Mayan temple. The fierce foliage don’t so much possess a personality as they do an instinct to catch these hapless tourists off guard and suck them in through vines and whinnying daisies that harvest the bodies. Four college kids on vacation are taken to the Mayan temple to indulge in some sight seeing and are chased inside by violent villagers who will not let them leave or escape; and after seeing one of their friends be shot dead with an arrow and a handgun, they know their pursuit is a stern one. Seeking refuge on the top of the landmark, they find the reason for being kept prisoner much too late, and the manure hits the fan.

“The Ruins” relies on a slow boil plot that doesn’t put too much weight on human stupidity, as it does the intelligence of these monsters. The people here are numbskulls, and are outwitted by the thousands of flowers and vines growing around them at a rapid pace watching them and taunting them into submission. The open wounds allow an area to grow and the resulting blooming makes for some of the most disgusting and harrowing moments with leaves growing through the cuts and broken limbs that soon begin to inspire paranoia, and surefire lunacy among those bandaged and ailing awaiting their fates and anxiously searching for a way to halt the viral vines. In the shade of films like “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” the plants strike silently when those with the gashes are asleep.

The horror escalates as we gain a brunt impression of what these things are, what damage they can cause to anyone, and why these villagers are keeping them inside by spraying salt around the perimeter, and murdering intruders. With a healthy dose of dark humor, there are some lingering questions left for the audience once the credits have begun, and Smith’s demented trip into the darker side of tourism has done its job. And quite well, I might add. The four schmucks in “The Ruins” are insanely vacuous and vapid with zero to no cause for sympathy to their situation thanks to their rather boring personalities. Not only are they all generally cardboard figures stumbling around in broadly drawn sub-plots, but there isn’t a single person in this group sparked an interest.

Sure, the menace is daunting, but I would have enjoyed watching people I could actually care for and fear, instead I felt nothing but pure apathy at their perils, and couldn’t quite put my finger why I didn’t care if any of them died. Maybe it’s the sub-par performances by four folks who can barely muster emotion, perhaps it’s the obvious targets they deem themselves to be (we all know the foreigner and hot chick will get it first), or perhaps it’s the sexual undertones that signal these couples aren’t as faithful as they want to believe. Either way, I just didn’t care for their plight on land, and I couldn’t bring myself to feel for them when they were forced to battle with these monsters. Despite its flaws, “The Ruins” is a very good little horror film with a unique villain that will keep audiences squirming in their seats.