10 Greatest Horror Movies Of The 21st Century

By Ross Miller /

1. The Descent (2005)

Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, Doomsday) came along pretty much out of nowhere with this monstrously scary tale of an all-female cave-diving group who get lost inside an unknown cave system. With nowhere to go but further down in order to look for a way out, things go from bad to worse when the ladies come up against some nocturnal monsters. Aside from the unique aspect that the film has an all-female cast, the brilliance of the film is how it€™s utterly terrifying before the actual monsters show up, with amazing use of tension and conjuring a deeply uncomfortable feeling of claustrophobia €“ a scene in which one of the women is trapped and has to squeeze through before some rocks collapse is heart-in-your-mouth tense. Then, of course, the "Crawlers" pop up and add a whole other terrifying dimension. It€™s a masterful film that does everything a horror should and more, providing that rarest of things: a genuinely scary experience happening to characters about whom you actually care. For me it€™s the high watermark of modern horror that has yet to be bested. Which of these horrors are your favourite? Did I miss off any essentials? Share your thoughts in the comments below.