Written by: Jase Marsiglia
In the widespread “nature run amok” films in the horror genre, most tend to focus on animals going berserk. Very few give proper respect to the dangers of our leafy, green friends: plants.
Sure, a botanical virus took down Jordy Verrill in 1982’s Creepshow (and by extension, man-eating Venus flytraps made quick work of some bullies in Creepshow 2). Both Audrey Jr. and Audrey II were carnivorous plants in their respective "Little Shop of Horrors" films. We’ve seen the horrors of "The Day of the Triffids", the “Creeping Vine” in "Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors", and even R. L. Stine warned us to “Stay Out of the Basement.” And who could forget the terror of Night Gallery’s “Green Fingers”?
Plants are tricky. When done wrong, you get something like "The Happening." When done right, you get "The Ruins".
The Ruins (2008) ⭐⭐⭐½
Two couples on spring break in Mexico decide to tag along with a German tourist whose brother is working on an archaeological dig at a remote Mayan temple. When they arrive, the brother is nowhere to be found. As they explore the site, a group of Mexican villagers suddenly appears, agitated and shouting at them. The tourists don’t understand what’s going on and assume they’ve simply crossed into a restricted area.
Then someone touches the vines.
Everything changes.
WATCH THE TRAILER FOR "THE RUINS" BELOIW
The villagers immediately turn violent, killing one of the guides who approaches them—and even one of their own children after he comes into contact with the plant. Trapped and quarantined at the dig site, the group is forced to stay atop the temple while the villagers stand guard below, ready to shoot anyone who tries to leave.
It quickly becomes clear that the temple is not just an ancient ruin. It’s a prison.
Something lives in those vines.
As supplies run low and tensions boil over, the group realizes the plants are not only alive, but aware. They’re hungry. Worse, the red flowers scattered throughout the greenery can mimic sounds and voices, luring victims with false hope and turning paranoia into something lethal.
"The Ruins", written by Scott Smith (adapting his own novel) and directed by Carter Smith, is a brutal mix of body horror and psychological terror. It carries the skin-crawling infection vibes of "Cabin Fever" and the suffocating isolation of "Open Water", but adds something far more unsettling: plants that can infect, rot, manipulate, and ultimately consume you.
The cast—Jonathan Tucker, Jena Malone, Laura Ramsey, and Shawn Ashmore—deliver grounded, intense performances that sell every ounce of fear. You believe these people are trapped somewhere the plants want to eat them.
Add in gruesome practical effects and disturbingly convincing visuals of vines that pulse, shift, and reach for their prey, and you’ve got a full-blown botanical nightmare packed with body horror, madness, and self-mutilation.
A box office disappointment when it first hit theaters, "The Ruins" is more than overdue for a second look. This is one worth digging back up.
HOME VIDEO
After underperforming in theaters, "The Ruins" was quickly released on DVD by DreamWorks Home Entertainment in the summer of 2008. The release included a much nastier Unrated cut, along with an audio commentary by Carter Smith and editor Jeff Betancourt.
Extras featured deleted scenes with optional commentary, the theatrical trailer, and featurettes including Making The Ruins, Creeping Death, and Building The Ruins. Not bad at all for a film that got buried at the box office—definitely a set worth digging into.
BITS ‘N’ PIECES
Traum-A-Meter:
3 out of 4
Gruesome, nasty, skin-crawling violence. Vines burrow under skin, characters spiral into madness and self-mutilation, corpses rot in the sun, and even a child is killed. This one is not for the faint of heart.
Today’s Jam:
While The Ruins was infecting audiences, Rihanna was dominating with “SOS,” which feels a little too on-the-nose for what these characters are going through.
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