Complete credited cast: | |||
Cole Hauser | ... | Jack McAllister | |
Eddie Cibrian | ... | Tyler McAllister | |
Morris Chestnut | ... | Top Buchanan | |
Lena Headey | ... | Dr. Kathryn Jennings | |
Piper Perabo | ... | Charlie | |
Rick Ravanello | ... | Briggs | |
Daniel Dae Kim | ... | Alex Kim | |
Kieran Darcy-Smith | ... | Strode | |
Marcel Iures | ... | Dr. Nicolai | |
Vlad Radescu | ... | Dr. Bacovia | |
Simon Kunz | ... | Mike - Caver #1 | |
David Kennedy | ... | Ian - Caver #2 | |
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Alin Panc | ... | Razvan - Caver #3 |
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Zoltan Butuc | ... | Corvin - Caver #4 |
Brian Steele | ... | Creature Performer |
Decades after a rock church in communist Romania's Carpathians caved when an expedition caused a landslide and buried everyone, Dr. Nicolai's scientific team exploring the associated Templar Knights monster fighting-legend discovers a deep, flooded cave system and hires the brothers Jack and Tyler's brilliant divers team to explore it. Another explosion traps them, after finding a mysterious parasite turning all species carnivore, and later an independently evolved predator species. Jack may be infected and turning, but Tyler sticks with him, so the group splits, hunted by the monsters, which also fly. Written by KGF Vissers
What differentiates "The Cave" from other horror films is the setting. The plot takes place mostly in a large cave, some of which is underwater.
By far, the best element of this film is the underground scenery. The sets are realistic, with spaces and formations that one might see in certain large caverns. And, the film nicely conveys a sense of vertical scale, as we watch cavers climb rock walls, and explore huge rooms with towering ceilings.
The problem here is that the film's director is so committed to an action plot that the camera rarely stays in one scene long enough for the viewer to have a sense of place. We thus forgo the thrill that an underground environment could provide. There's no feeling of amazement, no claustrophobia from tight crawlways, no real fear of any kind. The film's fast pace, combined with characters we barely know and care nothing about, thus dilutes the intended suspense.
The cinematography is flashy and very technical. The lighting is appropriately subdued with interesting colors and unusual camera angles. The background music is somewhat intrusive. Dialogue is weak. And the actors, who appear to be in their twenties, are all photogenic, straight out of central casting. The monsters, what we see of them, seem slightly hokey.
Overall, "The Cave" will appeal to viewers who like horror films set in unusual environments, wherein the pace is super fast, and there is a ton of action. Viewers looking for a credible story will need to exit the cave ... quickly.