Erin's take on The Ruins

First off, I have to say that I'm a horror movie buff. As much as I like a good romantic comedy, musical, or even action film, I'd usually give it all up for a horror movie. Somehow I had missed The Ruins when it was out in theatres and on dvd, so I went in with fresh eyes.

I was intrigued from the first moment. Who is this girl? Where is she? What's happening? An interesting technique to open the film, and one that had me hooked. I didn't love this movie, but I certainly didn't hate it.

I thought the movie had many of the markers of a standard horror movie. Right off the bat, I actually snickered, because while discussing going to the ruins, one of the characters says, "as long as I'm back for make your own taco night!" Anyone who has seen a horror movie knows this sort of "I'll be back" declaration is as good as signing your own death certificate. The film also has a standard sort of plot at the core: a group of co-eds goes off on vacation, goes missing, has to fight to survive. We've seen it done time and time again, but never quite like this.

I had to admit that they got themselves into a pretty demented situation. As soon as the Greek guy was killed, I don't see how they thought they had ANY chance whatsoever of survival. I kept asking myself, "what would I do in this situation?" and I honestly had no clue. At every turn, with every choice they made (sending Mathias down the hole, sending the girls down to get him, sending the girls down for the "cell phone", etc) I still could not see how they might fathom getting out of there alive. Unrelated to survival, but I also didn't understand why Stacey chose to give her boyfriend that handjob... nothing whips me into a sexual frenzy like a day on some cursed ruins?

I thought the whole living plant business was extremely cool, but made me feel a little bit ill. I hate when you see things moving under the skin, or in people's eyes (X-Files used to do that on occasion). I did like that it presented the group with choices they would NEVER have to make in the real world, and it caused them to confront some scary demons. That leg amputation would be a HUGE undertaking for someone who is just a med student, and I couldn't believe Dr. Jeff went through with it, and that they were so graphic with the visuals. Then, when they wake up in the morning and Stacey isn't in the tent, and they go out to find that she's been up cutting plant out of herself, I found myself again horrified and fascinated -- the markings of a good horror movie.

In the end, I was really impressed with the plan that Dr. Jeff and Amy concocted. I was, however, disappointed by the ending. There was so much build up to Mathias' death as well as Stacey's, and how they related to the survival of the group, but then the deaths of the other three came quite quickly, without giving the viewer time to really think. Throughout the film I thought the whole "connection" was that if the plant came in contact with your blood, it took over your body, but I don't remember Amy bleeding. Am I wrong? Did I miss something? In any event, I was proud of Dr. Jeff for sacrificing himself for his love, but found it quite disheartening that she didn't live even 5 minutes longer to justify the sacrifice.