The Descent (2005)

Director: Neil Marshall

Starring: Shauna Macdonald, Nora-Jane Noone, Saskia Mulder

A caving expedition goes horribly wrong, as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators.

Shocking opening scene. The film has stunning nature shots in the beginning. The cast is brilliant, and the film is interesting from the beginning, and never gets boring. Once they’re inside the cave, some scenes really feel claustrophobic – very effectively done. I was nervous for every move the characters made, not knowing what might await them around the next corner. Unlike most horror movies where I jolt in my seat with fright because of a sudden blare of music and not because of what happens, this film delivers genuine scares, even without music. Now, that’s the qualities of a real scare-fest! The second half of the film more than compensates for the lack of blood in the first half, loaded with blood, guts and gore so nerve-wrecking that I honestly found it difficult to watch some of the scenes. It was just that well done! Quite terrifying, actually, and definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, so be warned. It is also nice to see how the weakest character becomes the strongest.  Exceptionally well made film.

The film received numerous film awards and won Best Horror Film, Best Director, Best Technical Achievement, Best Thriller, Best Horror Movie of the Year.

PS: You might not have noticed it at first, but the DVD cover is very cleverly done featuring all six main characters.