Neil Marshalls tale of six women who encounter some nasty beasts while spelunking a cave is arguably one of the scariest movies of the past ten years, mainly because its relentlessly claustrophobic and takes place almost entirely in the dark. The Descent confirms every childs worst fear, even after they think theyve outgrown it there are bad things lurking in the dark, terrifying creatures which dwell in places youve spent most of your life avoiding. When we finally see them, our worst fears are realized. Not only are these monsters grotesque, theyre quick, agile and intent on eating you. Along with the nearly-overwhelming claustrophobia you feel as these women venture further and further downward, cave walls practically threatening to squeeze the air from their lungs (long before before any monsters even show up),The Descent masterfully exploits two of our most common phobias. On a side note, if youre in the mood for even further despair, you definitely need to see the original - much darker - ending to the film. Youll feel like hell afterwards, but its arguably the greatest coda to a horror movie since John Carpenters The Thing.