I could spit on a stranger.

[SPOILERS AHEAD!]

In Carter Smith’s The Ruins, two American couples spending their summer in Cancun before they all move on with their post-collegiate life decides to tag along with a German on a whim, to look for the German’s brother in an ancient Mayan ruins. Upon arriving there, they discover that there’s a creeping horrific “other” amongst them.

While this might sound like your good-’ole Torture Porn movie with blood, gouging eyes, and throat slashing galore, I’d have to shun perception now. No folks, The Ruins managed to put something effectively that’s been missing with countless torture porn features as of late–serious dramz.

While there’s still the gut-wrenching violence (a graphic headshot, a little kid getting shot, a very primitive leg amputation scene, and yes, evil cannibalistic plants), The Ruins (just like the best-selling novel of the same name), is more of a character-driven psychological thriller and a tale about the lengths that people will go if fear starts to surface, than a straight up “dead teenager movie.” (more…)