Spooky Movies: The Descent

Marshall followed up Dog Soldiers in 2005 with The Descent. Six women go caving and are trapped as a passage collapses behind them. Juno, the competitive leader of the group, admits that the cave they’re in is unmapped, even though she had told them otherwise. So the map they have is useless, and they have no idea how to get out, or even if they can get it out. One of the women, Holly, breaks her leg, and Sarah sees a pale humanoid figure drinking water, but the others don’t believe her until they are attacked by the monsters. Closed in, surrounded, and terrified, they fight for their lives.

The combination in this film of claustrophobia, cold, darkness, monsters, and—even more insidious—what people do to each other in a crisis is a terrifying mix. Strong female performances and genuinely creepy monsters make this film stand out. Less gory than Dog Soldiers, but it’s definitely not for the kids.