I actually saw this movie in 3 parts, over the course of 2 weeks. It’s an ok movie as far are the newer horror movies go. The Ruins is a 2008 film directed by Carter Smith and starring Jonathan Tucker, Shawn Ashmore, Jena Malone, Laura Ramsey and Joe Anderson & is based on the novel of the same name by Scott Smith, who also wrote the screenplay.

Two couples on holiday in Mexico help a German tourist Mattias look for his brother and Dimitri who is searching for his girlfriend in an ancient Mayan ruins site. Just as the arrive, angry villagers attack them and they climb the ancient ruins. Dimitri is shot and killed when he tries to approach the villagers to explain. When Mattias falls while being lowered into a minshaft at the top of the ruins, he is paralysed.

The two girls go down to help him back up. Unfortunately the vines are alive and creep into both Mattias and Stacy. It spreads into their bodies and frightens the hell outta the group. The villagers won’t let them go as they fear that they might spread the infection. The group realizes that the vines are predatory and that the Mayans are actually trying to keep them quarantined and have salted the earth all around the hill.

There’s a brutal amputation scene and also it’s funny that the flowers on the vines can mimic sounds, like voices & cell phone ringing. At the end Amy (Malone) is the only one to escape while the rest are all killed and she makes her way to safety – and later we see two unsuspecting Greek tourists making their way towards the ruins. 7 outta 10!