Two years ago, I reviewed Scott Smith’s horror-lit novel The Ruins for the WSJ–mostly favorably, because I liked it, but also with the recognition that it’s not for everyone: “It’s the kind of book that is either loved for its hair-raising atmospherics and mounting anxieties or loathed because its pace isn’t quick enough, its action isn’t sufficiently slam-bang, and its main puzzle isn’t adequately solved.” I compared it to some of the better work of Algernon Blackwood and H.P. Lovecraft.

I’ve been eager to see the movie because A Simple Plan, also based on a Scott Smith novel, is a deeply conservative film, even if its makers didn’t think of it in those terms. I wouldn’t say the same thing about The Ruins, which I watched last night on DVD, but I did enjoy it. It’s a reasonably faithful adaptation. I’m rarely one to complain about movies that are too short, but this one might have benefited from a little more concentration on the profound creepiness of its setting: an uncharted Mayan temple, in the grip of a bizarre and murderous creature. Like the book, the film isn’t for everyone, but it’s also a cut above most of the competition in the horror-thriller genre.

And the next time you wander into the jungles of the Yucatan, remember to bring lots of Roundup.