The Ruins (2008)

If you're going to talk about treasures of the 2000s, you simply can't stop the conversation before discussing The Ruins. The Aughts pod has easy work to do with titles like House of Wax and The Hitcher, since there's a higher level of buy in from the start. But the archivists' work is done with titles that didn't have the weight of classic reputations behind them! From director Carter Smith, The Ruins is a jewel that lays bare the country's post-9/11 "America First!" rotting core before the slogan was popularized by a super dickhead years down the line. It also moves at a dead sprint and is filled with terror and top notch gore. Great performances abound from era staples like Shawn Ashmore and Laura Ramsay, and Jena Malone and Jonathan Tucker are giving incredible turns as the worst, most recognizable straight couple you've ever met. The Ruins is good, actually, and it's about time we placed it on the mantle next to biggies like Black Xmas!

Produced by: Jordan Crucchiola

Music by: Sam Wineman