The Cave

2005

The Cave

Critics Consensus

Despite its stylized and impressive sets, this horror-monster movie mish-mash suffers from endless cliches and wildly implausible plotlines.

12%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 111

28%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 93,565
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The Cave Photos

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Movie Info

Terror lurks deep beneath the surface of the Earth in this thriller. While on a dig in a Romanian forest, a group of scientists make a startling find -- they find a huge abbey, dating back to the 13th Century, which was built over the entrance to a massive network of subterranean caves. Eager to learn what lurks within the caves, the scientists discover to their peril that a large part of the cave system is under water. Undeterred, the remaining scientists hire a team of American spelunkers who are trained in exploring underwater caves, led by brothers Jack (Cole Hauser) and Tyler (Eddie Cibrian). Armed with new high-tech SCUBA gear that allows them to stay under water for a full 24 hours, Jack, Tyler, and the rest of their crew dive in to investigate the caves, but a mishap traps them in a cavern beneath the surface, and they soon discover they are not alone, as strange and bloodthirsty creatures make their presence known. The Cave also stars Morris Chestnut, Rick Ravanello, Piper Perabo, and Lena Headey.

Cast

Marcel Iures
as Dr. Nicolai
Lena Headey
as Kathryn
Cole Hauser
as Jack
Morris Chestnut
as Top Buchanan
Eddie Cibrian
as Tyler
Rick Ravanello
as Briggs
Kieran Darcy-Smith
as Strode
Daniel Dae Kim
as Kim
Piper Perabo
as Charlie
Brian Steele
as Creature performer
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Critic Reviews for The Cave

All Critics (111) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (13) | Rotten (98)

  • A generic duffer that's as exciting as a hole in the ground.

    Sep 3, 2005 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

    Neil Smith

    BBC.com
    Top Critic

  • Fright-wise, The Cave is a dry hole.

    Aug 31, 2005 | Rating: C- | Full Review…

    Scott Brown

    Entertainment Weekly
    Top Critic

  • Spare and single-minded, The Cave is an insistently entertaining piece of pulp.

    Aug 30, 2005

    Dennis Lim

    Village Voice
    Top Critic

  • The Cave isn't just a bad movie, it's a very, very, very bad movie, so bad that it can't even redeem itself by turning into high camp.

    Aug 26, 2005 | Full Review…

    Teresa Wiltz

    Washington Post
    Top Critic

  • Feels stunningly familiar as it goes through the rote edicts of the scientific crew vs. toothy beastie formula.

    Aug 26, 2005

    Robert Koehler

    Variety
    Top Critic

  • Somewhere deep beneath the Carpathian mountains, something unholy stirs: It's an unspeakable stinker of a movie called The Cave.

    Aug 26, 2005 | Rating: 1/4 | Full Review…

    Geoff Pevere

    Toronto Star
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (111)

Audience Reviews for The Cave

  • Jun 28, 2013
    The story is pretty cliche and I really don't mind that but the acting was horrible. I keep looking at the actors' faces when someone in the story dies and they just look like 'bitch is dead, well dang it' not like 'fuck fuck fuck someone's being killed by something we don't know'. It does have potential to be a good monster movie though but there's just too many flaws and I wished they'd give Piper Perabo more lines and screen time cause she's probably the most interesting character here.
    Cita W Super Reviewer
  • Jan 27, 2013
    If you're into caving and diving, you might get a slight kick out of this. If you're not, then don't bother.
    vieras e Super Reviewer
  • May 06, 2012
    An intrepid group of underground, underwater cave explorers try their hand in Romania (Dracula territory, a tip off), where they've found a new cave, under a mountain, under a church, and discover that they are in turn discovered by flesh eating monstrosities. Claustrophobic spaces, lots of uber-dark, and a music score from Psycho does not prevent science types from wandering off on their own (" hello, don't worry, I'm a doctor, highly trained, did you hear that noise, I'll go by myself to check it out w/this flashlight that don't work and no weapons even though I know something's out there killing us all off ...") one by one ... and the result is predictable movie horror cliches.
    Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
  • Dec 28, 2011
    Don't be fooled by the poster and the trailer. Uttely disappointed after watching it. So campy and predictable, don't bother.
    Sylvester K Super Reviewer
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