Based on the second novel by Scott Smith, The Ruins relocates the thematic premise of his first novel A Simple Plan (group dynamics deteriorating under pressure) in the terrain of arrogant-Americans-in-exotic-lands horror, but the film never makes good on Smith’s simple, but effective premise largely because the characters involved are so typically vacuous and interchangeable with every other young, beautiful horror-movie victim (even the intellectual headed for med school is model-rific ripped). There are certainly some good scenes, and the story’s slow-burn despair is a much welcome respite from so many horror movies’ heavy reliance on cheap frights. One word of warning: the story’s malevolent, supernatural threat is of the buy-it or laugh-at-it variety. I bought it, but others may not, and I understand why. (Starplex 16, Waco, TX)