4. High Tension (2003)
I can remember the night my buddy Evan and I went to see this movie. While we reviled ourselves as some of the sickest guys around, as we walked out of the theatre that night, we were in shock. We had no idea what the hell we had just watched. To say we were disturbed would have been an understatement. This put Alexander Aja on the horror scene. He directed a brutal, disturbing, and just plain shocking film in High Tension. Not many films disturb and shock me the way this one did. I usually buy all the blu rays of my favorite horror films, but with this one I cannot. It’s just too brutal. I think there is probably a group of horror fans who will absolutely hate this film. Over half the film is spent in silence as the two characters try to kill each other, while the other half is literally in a pool of blood and guts.
3. The Descent (2005)
When I first saw the poster for this film, it featured a young woman coming out of a pool of blood. It was definitely an original idea for a movie poster. It got me interested. With a cast full of virtually all unknown actresses, The Descent features nearly all females. Neil Marshalls’ brilliantly directed film focuses on the dangers of the wild, as there are many shots of the characters crawling through very tight and dark spaces inside of a cave. The film also explores the relationships of the characters, as they battle their way through the mutant creatures hidden deep within the cave. After the shocking beginning of the film, we get nothing for about an hour, as the audience gets to know the six female characters. Once we get to know each character, an all-out bloodbath ensues. The film will leave horror fans crying for more at the end.