20 Best Horror Movies Since 2000

Crafting a palpable sense of claustrophobia is a sure-fire way to create a looming sense of dread in an audience. The things which lurk unseen in the darkness are often more effective than the final monster reveal, playing on our fears of the dark and the uncomfortable sensation of confinement.

The Descent, directed by Neil Marshall, follows a group of women on a potholing holiday who find themselves lost within a complex cave system, under attack from mysterious cave-dwelling creatures intent on picking them off one by one. Marshall maximizes the potential of the setting (shooting on sets since real caves were too dangerous - you wouldn't know the difference since the production design is incredible), while the cast are pitch perfect.

There's a surprising amount of depth to the subtext of The Descent, too, elevating the material beyond a simplistic horror story and offering some psychological food for thought. The ambiguous ending hints at a dark emotional trauma which sticks in the brain long after the film ends.