The Cave review

Why you can trust 12DOVE Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Trapped miles underground in a giant labyrinth of submerged caverns with dwindling air supplies, no hope of rescue and man-sized bats picking his squad off one by one, ace cave diver Jack (Cole Hauser) reaches a startling conclusion. "This isn't good!" he grimaces - three little words that pretty much sum up this dreary creature feature.

Arriving in the wake of Neil Marshall's infinitely superior The Descent obviously does Bruce Hunt's debut film no favours, but even on its own terms this is desperate stuff - a flaccid hybrid of Alien, Predator and The Relic with shonky effects and a no-name cast. One mildly intriguing twist sees parasitic organisms transform Hauser from sturdy hero to bug-eyed mutant; alas, he's such a stiff actor it's hard to tell which is which. Some competently staged action apart, this is one Cave that should have stayed buried.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.