October 27, 2018
Written by: Trysta A. Bissett, Preston DeFrancis
Starring: Marcienne Dwyer, Matt Dellapina, Chris Hill
Quote: "That guy could have been a haunted house actor... or he could have been a deranged killer who just happened to wander into our campsite."
Overview: Ruin Me is a Shudder original but lacks a lot of the originality and technical expertise that are characteristic of most of the other Shudder Originals. This movie plays out more like a SciFi Channel original than a Shudder original. That is not to say the movie isn't fun to watch, it was just a bit of a letdown for me. However, there is some good slasher gore, a lot of twists and turns, and some really interesting characters. Plus, like the Scream movies, the movie takes a look at the horror genre itself allowing the film to get real "meta," which is always fun for a horror fan.
Synopsis: The basic plot is that six people sign up for the ultimate horror fan weekend where they are thrown into a fictionalized horror experience. For thirty six hours they have to survive in the woods while uncovering spooky clues and solving creepy puzzles. The movie focuses on a couple, a psychologist and his girlfriend who is in rehab, but there is also the quiet guy, the horror dork, the slutty girl and her emo/goth douchebag boyfriend. Gradually they begin to get killed one by one leaving the characters and the viewer wondering if this is all real. The stakes are raised as the horror seems to focus on the main girlfriend and her troubled past.
The Good: The movie is based on a really interesting idea of putting characters into a fictional horror weekend and then things go askew. As a horror junkie, it is really fun to watch all the slasher horror tropes and see the characters comment on them. The idea of an analysis of the genre from within the genre is what made Scream so successful and helps to make Ruin Me a fun watch. The characters, aside from the main girlfriend, are admittedly one-note, but also add a really fun 1980s slasher feel to the movie. Particularly enjoyable is the horror dork's presence. His comments add a needed comedic element and horror fans will see a lot of themselves in him. This movie also wouldn't have fully captured the 1980s slasher craze if there wasn't some nudity and the slutty girl is more than happy to get topless for her fellow campers early in the movie.
The Bad: While the movie seems like a very original concept, it seems to borrow heavily from David Fincher's The Game. So much so that several times during the movie I had to ask my wife, is this just The Game? I won't go more into detail on this because if you haven't seen The Game, the twists and turns will seem really cool. But if you have seen The Game, you'll be able to spot them a mile away. The movie is also clunky with a meandering plot and the story premise can only grab the viewer's attention for so long. Eventually the novelty of "Is this a movie or real?" wears off and that is really all this movie has to offer. Another bummer is that most of the deaths happen off screen and instead of getting some great slasher kills we are left with our protagonist just finding the bodies.
Gore: 3/5
Nudity: 2/5
...what's your thoughts?
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