RUINS
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY JAY MOHAN
Imagine, if you will, a pandemic so devastating that it changes the landscape of society forever.
Maybe you’ve experienced that story already.
What you haven’t experienced is this story through the vision and lens of Jay Mohan and his technical marvel, RUINS.
This post-pandemic themed feature film is told through snappy and visually appealing character vlogs. The six hospital employees journal their own experience as the movie is presented in a “found footage” style, but is exceptionally more polished than what audiences have become accustomed to.
Detailed graphic and text overlays add a texture of future tech and professionalism. This really sets RUINS apart from other contemporary efforts of this niche. The well paced score and sound design (by Ashwin Ramachandran) help drive the narrative and never undermine the thoughtful performances of the cast. (This writer found Radhika Sajith’s Mary Abraham particularly remarkable.)
Taking place nine years after an infection has destroyed most of humanity, the connected tales of these hospital workers’ trials and tribulations ring true and authentic. Mohan masterfully cuts between the vlogs to keep the viewer invested and engaged.
All filmmakers have been challenged to create during COVID and Jay Mohan found a brilliant way to overcome such limitations. How do you cast a movie while everyone is trying to maintain social distancing and mitigate risk of infection? Rather than leaning into Zoom calls and presenting them as such, Mohan layers these performances with a tech-savvy aesthetic which contribute to the concept of the film. The effort pays off well.
I expect we’ll see much more from Jay Mohan and I look forward to seeing what he can do without being handcuffed by a global pandemic. However, it seems he’s capable of creating through any obstacle or challenge that comes his way.
-Matt Cassidy
