Executes suspension, tension and primal fear very effectively

Rating: 9/10 (7 January 2007)

I never got to see this in theaters, but I'm sure if I had, the audience would've been very into it. It's a sort of movie that not only demands, but is able to get an honest knee-jerk reaction from viewers.
It grabs hold of you as soon as the six unfortunate women enter the dark hole that is the entrance of the cave. For the first half of the movie itself, a buildup of suspense and tension grips you fiercely. Even before the creature/action scenes commence, you can't keep your eyes off the screen. The feelings of claustrophobia and the darkness are well executed. Once the creatures start to appear, it's all over. There's no way you can miss even a second of what's going on. The music in the background adds perfectly to what's happening, being thundering and pulse-pounding one moment, low key yet still ominous the next. The usage of color and lighting makes the atmosphere even more compelling, with the setting and actresses bathed in bright red, green, and blue light. There's no peeling your eyes from the screen until the very end.
My only issue (however small it is) is that I usually find extremely minimal usage of creatures is more effective. You find with a movie like Signs, that when you see too much, it starts losing its edge. Though that may be, the creatures were realistic and not too out there for this kind of movie, and I suppose the number of creature sightings in the film can't be helped. Overall, I was thoroughly pleased and spooked by the end. Well recommended.