The Ruins



The Ruins is a 2008 film produced by Ben Stiller, based on the 2006 novel of the same name.

Two young American couples (Jeff and Amy along with Eric and Stacy) vacation in Mexico. At the pool of their hotel, they make friends with a German tourist, Mathias, and decide to help Mathias look for his brother, Heinrich. Heinrich has met a female archaeologist and followed her to an archaeological dig at a remote Mayan ruin in the jungle. The next morning Jeff, Amy, Eric, Stacy, Mathias and Demetri (a Greek tourist they also met at the hotel) begin the journey by bus.

The location of the ruin is shown on a crude map Heinrich drew before departing. After a long ride, the group arrives at a remote village near the dig and takes a worn-down taxi to the destination marked on the map. The driver tries to warn them away from this particular area. But shortly, they arrive at the trail head where they spot Heinrich's jeep and proceed.

Upon arrival, Mayan villagers appear with guns and bows. When Amy accidentally steps into vines covering the ruin, the Mayans aim their weapons at them. Demetri tries to calm the situation by walking over to Amy and grabbing the camera which he thought was the cause of the problem. After stepping into the vines and taking the camera he begins to walk towards the Mayans. Then he is struck with an arrow in his shoulder and then shot in the head. The Mayans then force the others up to the temple roof. They soon realize they are being quarantined, and learn the reasons why. It's a Orifice Invasion.


 * Badass - Though a minor example, Jeff is probably the most dangerous guy in the film.
 * Daylight Horror - Because blood-drinking ivy growing in a wound is scary no matter how bright it is.
 * Death by Irony: In his defense, it was too dark to have known what was happening to her.
 * Death By Pragmatism: Downplayed with in the novel. From the beginning, he is painted as something of a Jerkass due to his cold and calculating nature. In retrospect, this makes him seem like the ideal hero of the situation after the horror kicks in at the second act. . He is certainly pragmatic, what with being a medical student and all, and when one of the protagonists (the non-English speaking Woobie of the cast),
 * Deconstruction - The novel picks apart the standard teens-get-lost-and-killed-by-monster/psycho story. You have annoying Final Girl Amy . You have Stacy, whose first bit of character information is that she cheated on her boyfriend, so she has to die. However, being the still cherished girlfriend of the strategist leader  . Jeff, a resourceful Eagle Scout who starts to realize how completely over his head the situation is. Mathias, the mysterious German who leads the group to the temple where all the action takes place, is obviously responsible for the whole situation as some sort of Nazi experiment.   In the end, stupidity and gravity almost does more to hurt the group than.
 * Developing Doomed Characters
 * The End - or Is It?:
 * Gorn:
 * You may not be squeamish, but you will feel physically ill during the leg-amputation scene.
 * Or
 * Heavy on the amateur surgery.
 * Heroic Sacrifice - In the film,
 * It Can Think -
 * - A particularly disturbing example at that.
 * Meganekko - Amy.
 * Mercy Kill:
 * The lead native.
 * Orifice Invasion
 * Schmuck Bait: The "cell phone" and the steps to reach it.
 * Thanatos Gambit -.
 * The Film of the Book
 * Too Dumb to Live - In the movie, this applies to everyone. In the book, it's mostly Eric, Stacy, and Amy.
 * What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic -
 * Worst Aid:
 * Oh no, his legs are infected. Clearly we should cut them off in unsanitary conditions with no bandages or antiseptics available. Because that won't lead to a person whose new wounds will promptly get infected, the only change being that he now doesn't have any legs.
 * Oh, you just fell 20+ feet and can't feel your legs? Let's pick you up and move you. Ignore the Sickening Crunch, it's probably nothing.
 * Oh no, his legs are infected. Clearly we should cut them off in unsanitary conditions with no bandages or antiseptics available. Because that won't lead to a person whose new wounds will promptly get infected, the only change being that he now doesn't have any legs.
 * Oh, you just fell 20+ feet and can't feel your legs? Let's pick you up and move you. Ignore the Sickening Crunch, it's probably nothing.