Jared's Take on The Ruins

First, my apologies for being this late to the game, and for missing the last discussion entirely. No excuses. I just ran out of time.

Second. The movie film.

I wish I had liked it more. I think, even before it started, that I was going to be disconnected from the film because I'm just not a fan of horror movies - or the overtly, or oddly violent ones. I think the only one I've even remotely enjoyed was Cabin Fever, and even that was fleeting...

There were some interesting ideas on display throughout the film that I think could have been explored more at the necessary sacrifice of bloodletting, but that's just my opinion. I know that the violence, or acts of violence, in horror films are supposed to serve the story in some way, and that much I can appreciate because I don't feel like any of it was gratuitous or unwarranted - it's just simply not my taste, I suppose.

The story itself was actually all sorts of rad. But, starting from the beginning when the group met the German, I had to remind myself that they apparently don't live in the same universe that we do - the universe where there are movies about the crazy, horrible, violent things that happen to tourists when they traipse off in to the jungle with complete and total strangers. Especially Germans.

Just kidding.

I suppose the fact that they also live in a universe where a plant can kill them in various ways, and said plants can mimic different noises, should have been some indication that "reality" was just an odd concept within the context of the film. Or it was the "reality" of the film. But I found it at odd with the violence on display, which was very graphic and straightforward, and real - but set against the backdrop of these unreal things happening... I don't know. It was just an odd mix for me.

Technically, though, the film looks great. I was rather impressed with the visuals, far more than anything else. The acting was decent enough - being asked to commit to a role that asks you to be so afraid of something like vines would be a challenge for anyone, I'm sure.

I wish I could add more to the discussion, but I just couldn't dig in to this film on any more than a base level, and I really wanted to. Maybe, watching it again later down the line, with perhaps lowered expectations, I might enjoy it more. Thanks for the pick, though, Jessie. I'm always open to new experiences. This one just didn't capture my attention so much.