The Descent (2005)

The Descent was the first horror movie I ever saw in theaters, on a first date with a guy who would eventually become my high school sweetheart. So, I bizarrely have fond memories of a rather horrifying film for that very reason—because let me be clear, The Descent is intense. It follows a group of women who go on a spelunking expedition after one of them suffers a tragedy, just for more tragedy to ensue because this is, after all, a horror movie.

Not long after their descent (teehee) into the convoluted cave system (an unexplored one, which the woman who led them there conveniently leaves out), a collapse blocks their exit. They forge onward, finding signs that other expeditions have made their way through this place seeking an exit. But there’s something else: horrible, Gollum-like predators that feast on human flesh. The Descent is a gory 100 minutes of heart-pumping jump scares and horrors, and is definitely one of the scarier films on this list. — Alyssa Mercante