There's nothing more embarrassing than being an entitled, young, oblivious American teen in another country. This movie is about bad decision-making, pure and simple. And like that, I am old.
Take the vapid mix of ignorant entitled American teens hanging out, bored, and entirely ignorant of other cultures deciding to go with a stranger to ancient Mayan ruins on their last day before leaving for home. There are so many things right there that any practical person would realize leads to utter doom. Especially if you've ever watched ANY other horror movie in the world.
Even their taxi driver was like hey you don't want to go there, it's a bad place. Ooop for $20 I'll take you, it's your funeral after all.
I was like, "look at these dumb kids walking miles (one of them in flip flops) in a jungle to a remote ruins without adequate food or water." Then I remembered I did this at Mt. Rainier 3 years ago, so I dialed down the judginess a bit. For a little while. No taxi ride back with questionable cell service, with no concern for indigenous or current cultures onto private lands... ah well.
While I was still deciding if the movie was going to go serious or silly, it went serious very quickly and these teens found themselves on top of the Mayan pyramid, trapped by locals who really didn't want them leaving. Sacrifice? Cannibalism? Darwinism? Who knew, and the movie got more interesting. I threw my hands in the air with vindication when one of them said, "we're Americans! This doesn't happen to us!" and laughed for a good bit. Dumbass.
The events unfolded well, and there were some truly grisly moments I've come to expect in horror movies. Some very gruesome gore scenes and scenarios played out that left me queasy and squirmy. There's a part where the protagonist made an enthralling sound that was very akin to the xenobear in "Annihilation" that was ultra-creepy and memorable.
I didn't feel particularly sympathetic to the characters, but the scenarios were frightening and a reminder safety can go to dire emergency very quickly, especially if you are afflicted with the skills of young kids without a care in the world. I would watch Jena Malone as the antagonist in any movie because she just looks like she enjoys making people feel like she is going to eat them. She's only the social antagonist here. Some of the better acting also.
Finally, bereft of supplies (despite one of them being pre-med), and having had to make quick decisions in the same realm as Lord of the Flies, there's a chance for escape. WILL THEY MAKE IT? These dumb teenagers had one good idea. Tune in and find out if they get home or not. #plants.
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