The Cavern (2005)

aka Within

A year after their friend dies during an expedition, a group of cavers, with a writer tagging along to do research for his book,  go to a remote area where they plan to explore an uncharted cave.  Since "secrets spread fast in the caving world," they haven't told anyone where they're going because they want to be the first to explore it.

A short way into the cavern, they discover a huge hole in the caves floor which they decide to name Hell Pit.  I misheard this and thought they named it the Elf Pit, which has a totally different connotation.

They rappel into the cavernous hole and begin to explore when one of them disappears.  After back tracking, they discover his body.  When they get to where they rappelled down, they become trapped when the rope and body of the only person left up top tumbles down next to them.

Now these people are supposed to make their living in cave exploration, which I wasn't aware anyone could do.  Yet they flip out and scream in panic at the first sign of trouble.  Granted it's a really bad situation, but you've got to be able to think on your feet if you want to survive unexpected events in a cave.  Especially when you figure out that something is in the cave and it kills people.

Looking into the Elf Pit Hell Pit

The biggest problem with this film is that it is actually like being in a cave, which is unfortunate since we can't see half the movie.  Most of the movie is the cavers squeezing through small passages while their headlamps shine into the camera.  Either that or it's too dark to see.  Also shaking the camera adds nothing to the film except more footage in which you wonder what is happening since you can't tell what the hell is going on.  And why are some shots upside down?  It doesn't help, people!

At a certain point, you think the movie is over... but it continues.  Seriously?  There are so many problems with this.  So we are supposed to believe that the mystery creature that moves boulders bigger than a car, tears men in half with his bare hands, has perfect vision in total darkness, and survives multiple gunshot wounds without a problem is actually just some kid from a plane crash who has a burnt face and wears animal skins?  So our super strong, stealthy, lunatic is a caveman?  Come on!  It's like something right out of Scooby Doo.

When did this kid become a cannibal?  How do all these people end up in or near this uncharted mystery cave?   There are too many people's personal items to be from the plane crash.  How did he move the boulders?  How can he see in the dark?  And what sort of a kid was this?  Was he a sociopath?  It's not like he was three years old and was never socialized.  He was somewhere between 8-12 when he ended up there.  So he how did his isolation turn into a total raving psycho?

Oh and lastly, I'm not sure, but I think at the beginning of the film the group was gathered around a CGI campfire which makes no sense whatsoever since it is cheap and easy to build an actual fire.

Hey, there's too much light in the cave.  Can you take care of that?

Perfect! I can barely see the cavers or the rope.

Bad

Worse

Worst

This shot is confusing even when viewed in context.
It's the soles of boots as a caver rappels into the hole.