The Ruins (2008)
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A group of vacationers finds themselves trapped in a remote Mayan ruin inhabited by a carnivorous vine growth.
The story
Two young American couples on vacation in Mexico join a German tourist named Mathias to visit a remote Mayan ruin in the jungle. Upon reaching the temple, they are confronted by hostile Mayan villagers. After Amy accidentally touches some vines, the villagers become aggressive, leading the group to flee into the ruins. They discover an abandoned camp and a shaft, but find themselves trapped as the villagers refuse to let them leave. The group soon realizes the ruins are inhabited by a dangerous, carnivorous vine growth that poses a lethal threat to anyone who touches it.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Two American couples—Amy, Jeff, Eric, and Stacy—travel to Mexico and meet Mathias, who is searching for his brother Heinrich at a remote Mayan ruin. They are joined by Mathias's friend, Dimitri. Upon arriving, they are attacked by Mayan villagers. After Dimitri is killed, the group flees into the ruins. They find a shaft where Mathias is lowered but becomes paralyzed when the rope breaks. The group discovers the Mayans are terrified of the vines and won't let them leave. The next morning, Stacy discovers a vine has entered a wound on her leg, and Mathias's legs are being eaten away. They find a room containing the body of an archaeologist and a phone; they realize the ringing was the vine's flowers. As Mathias's condition worsens, Jeff amputates his legs. Stacy becomes manic, claiming vines are in her head. She eventually slices her body open, fatally stabs Eric, and is mercy-killed by Jeff. Jeff smears Stacy's blood on her body to trick the Mayans, allowing Amy to escape through the jungle. Jeff is killed by the Mayan leader, and Amy manages to drive away in a Jeep. In an unrated version, Amy is shown to be infected.
- First release year
- 2008
- Runtime (minutes)
- 90
- Production countries
- Australia; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Carter Smith
- Writers
- Scott B. Smith · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Jena Malone · Amy; Jonathan Tucker · Jeff; Shawn Ashmore · Eric; Laura Ramsey · Stacy; Joe Anderson · Mathias
- Genres
- natural horror; adventure horror; survival; body horror
- Themes
- survival; isolation; nature's wrath
- Tone and mood
- bleak; edgy; tense; frightening
- Premise and plot tags
- vacation; jungle; ruins; carnivorous plants
- Source material / true-story basis
- 2006 novel of the same name by Scott B. Smith
- Content notes
- gore
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a box-office bomb, earning less than its budget at the worldwide box office.
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: D+ · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The shooting of this film took place in Queensland, Australia.; The vine was designed using elements from lots of different real-life plants.; The film was based on an outline bought by Ben Stiller's production company, Red Hour Films.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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