Truly chilling

Rating: 8/10 (13 July 2005)

Alright, let's get the bad stuff out of the way first - for me at least, the start of the movie was really boring and dire. It barely established the characters, but I think it was aimed more at bringing them all together to get a feeling of togetherness in the group. I also thought it was a bit too long.
OK, now that stuff is gone, lets get to the good bits. I haven't really been this chilled by a British-helmed film since I first saw Alien, and there are definitely elements of that movie (not to mention Predator too) in this little gem. Almost the entire cast is female, which makes things even more chilling as things go on. After the boring ending things really start to kick off and send shivers up your spine - some of the caving scenes in particular were extremely claustrophobic, and Marshall really ratchets up the tension at times. Some of the characters really come into their own in the caves. The movie is also quite cruel with the viewer at times, particularly at the end, but this ending and other moments in the movie demonstrate Marshall's newfound cinematic flair to great effect. Oh, and the music is fantastic!
Overall, this reviewer says: Dire start, bit too long, yet cinematic ally intelligent, cruel and scary as hell!