Ruins, The

Aroview: Gory cautionary tale, adapted from Scott Smith’s popular pulp novel, in which a group of college pals on an eye-opening Mexican vacation encounter unspeakable evil when they decide to have a poke around some Mayan Ruins.

A bit unfortunate in that it haphazardly opts for cheap gore at the expense of patient atmospheric buildup, this still rewards with some sickeningly effective set pieces, while the presence of gimmicky but creepy ‘killer plants’ (a la LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS) will no doubt frighten the bejesus out of some.