The Descent (Horror)

Dog Soldiers director Neil Marshall follows up his acclaimed debut with an even stronger, more terrifying horror film, and international fans have responded with appropriate enthusiasm, often citing this British shocker as the best horror film of the year. It’s certainly the scariest – Marshall pulls no punches with the expert shocks and jolts, but he has also created a film that provides a depth of characterization that allows the audience to actually care about the heroines in peril. After suffering a family tragedy, Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) attempts to forget her trauma by embarking upon one of the regular adventure trips that she takes with five female friends – this time, a hiking and spelunking expedition in the Appalachian Mountains. But it turns out that one reckless friend has secretly led them into an unexplored cave to heighten the excitement…which proves to be a bad move when they not only become lost, but suddenly realize that they’re not alone underground. Quick-moving humanoid creatures live within the caves and for their food supply, they rely on…well, you can probably figure it out. Boasting some gorgeous, largely nocturnal widescreen cinematography (by Sam McCurdy) and enough surefire scares that you’ll likely spend half the film elevated a couple inches off the seat rather than on it, The Descent is the most effective exercise in pure horror since High Tension, and demonstrates the timeless power of playing the monster movie straight. Be prepared to scream!