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The Ruins

Play trailer 1:04 Poster for The Ruins R Released Apr 4, 2008 1h 31m Horror Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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52% Tomatometer 97 Reviews 30% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Amy (Jena Malone), Stacy (Laura Ramsey), Jeff (Jonathan Tucker) and Eric (Shawn Ashmore) look for fun during a sunny holiday in Mexico, but they get much more than that after visiting an archaeological dig in the jungle. Carnivorous vines try to ensnare the friends in their tendrils, forcing the group to fight for survival.
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The Ruins

The Ruins

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Critics Consensus

Despite a solid cast and truly frightening source material, The Ruins founders, thanks to a weak script and an excess of gore.

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Critics Reviews

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Peter Bradshaw Guardian It had me squirming, and the sheer anarchy and amoral chaos involved was refreshing. Rated: 3/5 Oct 18, 2008 Full Review Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle Smith's singularly bizarre novel managed what this film cannot: fear and sympathy. Rated: 1/5 Oct 18, 2008 Full Review Empire Magazine Slick, sick stuff, but save the odd squirm, a killer-plant horror that doesn't grow anywhere. Rated: 2/5 Jun 20, 2008 Full Review David Day Horror Movie Talk If you are in the mood for some interesting body horror and some laughs at a movie that takes itself way too seriously, this is it. It’s not great, but it’s not terrible, and boy, it’s ironically funny. Rated: 5/10 Aug 11, 2025 Full Review Patrick Cavanaugh The Wolfman Cometh The narrative itself doesn't really offer many surprises, but its special effects makes for a cringe-inducing experience. Rated: 3/5 Sep 24, 2023 Full Review Emma Wolfe SpookyAstronauts It had a good story, I hadn't seen anything like this in a little while. Jun 1, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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rick d One of the best horror movies of the decade…..original, you can tell it was based on a book….shows you can make frightening scenes that aren’t so dark that you don’t have a clue what’s going on…loved it when it came out…holds up in 2025. Great acting. Nice twist. A Dreamworks movie surprisingly because it is quite Gorey. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/20/25 Full Review Peter G Unique and original. Cool setting Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/23/25 Full Review Esra Y Had the potential to be a nerve wrecking movie about being trapped in wilderness with a fantasy touch of carnivorous vines but script falls too short for it. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 06/22/25 Full Review Chris B I don't understand all the hatred for this film. It's not scary in terms of jump scares, but it is stressful, grim, and anxiety inducing. I also like that the horror isn't shrouded in darkness, in fact, part of the fear is from the exposure to the elements. Hideous decision making aside, the story isn't bad and the acting, Ashmore in particular, is pretty decent. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/22/25 Full Review Theode A The last 20 to 25 Minutes were really good but the rest of the movie was really boring. It has some brutal scences, but it wasn't scary at all, Rated 2 out of 5 stars 06/18/25 Full Review RaiderRo D This was a good watch. Wasn’t expecting much out of it when I turned it on paramount plus but it was entertaining movie. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/01/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Ruins

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Movie Info

Synopsis Amy (Jena Malone), Stacy (Laura Ramsey), Jeff (Jonathan Tucker) and Eric (Shawn Ashmore) look for fun during a sunny holiday in Mexico, but they get much more than that after visiting an archaeological dig in the jungle. Carnivorous vines try to ensnare the friends in their tendrils, forcing the group to fight for survival.
Director
Carter Smith
Producer
Stuart Cornfeld, Chris Bender
Screenwriter
Scott B. Smith
Distributor
Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks SKG
Production Co
Red Hour Films
Rating
R (Language|Gruesome Images|Nudity|Some Sexuality|Strong Violence)
Genre
Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 4, 2008, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 2, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA)
$17.4M
Runtime
1h 31m
Sound Mix
Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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