Little temple of horrors

Scott Smith’s “The Ruins”, directed by Carter Smith, is set in Mexico where a group of travellers arrive at an ancient temple and find that they cannot leave. This is what is known as survival horror, one of the horror film subgenres that require us to root for the survival of the post-adolescent protagonists. “The Ruins” takes its time drawing you in, introducing you to characters who seem little different from the types we saw in, amongst other titles, “Turistas”. Halfway through the film, however, the characters are revealed to be more than just attractive bodies when the real desperation of the situation sets in.

Scott Smith is known for his novel “A Simple Plan”, beautifully filmed by pre-webcoward Sam Raimi. “The Ruins” emphasises human psychology – how would you react to the situation that the characters find themselves in? Would you be able to do what is necessary to survive? – but it’s pure horror regardless, pitting the characters against an inescapable foe. It is not my position to tell who or what this enemy is (if you’ve seen this film’s trailer, you already know) but it turns out to be more convincing and frightening than I’d anticipated. For example: the characters are lured into the temple by a ringing cell phone, possibly their only hope of getting away from the site. The revelation of the cell phone later in the film is craftily handled; in a lesser film, it would’ve been comical but in “The Ruins” it successfully adds an additional level of anxiety for both the characters and the viewer.

All in all, “The Ruins”, a well made and predictable horror, does not come close to equalling the sheer dread and tension of Neil Marshall’s “The Descent”, but it’s still an improvement over most horror entertainment available these days. Ironically, its middle act is its strongest – the first act takes its sweet time getting started, while the third act is a bit of a seen-it-coming cop out. “The Ruins” won’t keep you awake at night though it presents a pleasant diversion from run-of-the-mill slashers and torture porn.