Four Americans vacationing in Mexico set off for an archeological dig at some Mayan ruins. But, the site is abandoned and covered in a strange vine. Natives surround the ruins and won’t let them leave.

Based on the bestseller by Scott Smith (A Simple Plan), the film version retains little of the book’s creeping dread or bleak tension, opting instead for a more typical horror formula to accommodate a quick run-time. It’s a decent horror flick in a genre full of mediocrity, but doesn’t approach Smith’s ominous work.

Grade: C

The Ruins is currently available.