The Ruins.

The Ruins is a psychological horror/thriller film based on Scott Smith's bestselling novel, and directed by Carter Smith. Scott Smith is best known for his novel A Simple Plan, his screen adaptation of which earned him an Oscar nomination in 1998. He has also written the screenplay for this film. The film stars Jonathan Tucker, Shawn Ashmore, Jena Malone, Laura Ramsey and Joe Anderson.

Unlike the new age slasher films that come out of Hollywood in the name of horror/thriller these days, The Ruins differs. It will not disappoint fans and critics of the psychological thriller genre. It does not switch gears to become a slasher film. Like what D.J.Caruso did with Disturbia last year, Carter Smith does even better with The Ruins. Disturbia's shift to a slasher film was a huge let-down by the time the closing credits rolled. The Ruins stands out because of its independent nature. It does not depend on blood and gore to make you feel queasy. It plays with your head, your views. It churns your insides by showing you fear and pain instead of spilled guts and decapitated heads. The sounds, the silent breathtaking visuals, the close-ups; are the elements that make the Ruins work. The tension that it succeeds in creating halfway through the film never backs out. It remains throughout.

The Ruins is a simple film, with a simple story. There aren't any digressions in it. It's all given to you straight. Take it, or leave it. The viewers are thrown smack in the middle of the situation. The popular nature of the film becomes evident after the introduction of the main characters themselves. A few 20 something's on vacation. There is nothing new in The Ruins when it comes to setting or characters, it's the technique that makes it stand out. It delves as deep as possible into the human mind as it can within its 93minute running time.

Loved it. Love the song in the closing credits (Phenomena by Yeah Yeah Yeahs).
8/10!