La cueva

A silly, unrealistic film about idiotic young people doing what they knew they should not do just to impress one another and that predictably goes wrong. A redeeming factor is that it was (at least in part, I guess) really filmed in a cave, and a cave surrounded by a very, very beautiful natural forested/beach location. An aggravating factor is that the plot offers an interesting ethical dilemma which is so badly handled it loses all effectiveness. The audience (should I say victims?) must chose if one thing neutralizes the other or just highlights it; notwithstanding I'd not recommend it.

I think in general terms this was a great flick, a very realistic story that begin in a high spirit note straigth to desperation and pure madness, Great acting, I strongly recomend.

A group of five friends are on vacation and they explore a cave. However, they become lost inside, and they must do whatever it takes to survive. This movie shows the grittiness and realism of what can happen if you go into an unexplored and unused cave system. I guess this is like a realistic version of The Decent, but instead of showing trained spelunkers and cave-dwelling monsters, it shows how sadistic people can be when their need to survive outweighs all else. This is filmed mostly through a camcorder.

This movie is entirely in Spanish. I do not speak Spanish very well - I picked up a word here and there - but it was easy enough to follow what was going on. I'm hoping they'll release a dubbed version or at least a version with subtitles. Still, you can catch what's happening without that, though I'm not quite certain how the people became lost; perhaps that was mentioned in the dialogue. There are a few jumps in this, which is usually rare for these types of movies, so that was a welcome surprise.

I gave this a 7-star rating because the acting was very good, especially Marta Castellote. The sets were also cool. The filming, as I said earlier, was done via camcorder, so take that how you want. There is a lot of nudity in the beginning; they have full-frontal of a woman and a man. The storyline wasn't very original, but the movie was executed in a very realistic way. There are NO special effects of any kind. Really, the film didn't need them. If you're looking for a creature feature with special effects and such, watch The Decent. If you're looking for realism, watch this. I recommend it.

If you take REC and mix it up with Blair Witch Project and Alive, you get something like La Cueva.

A group of friends venture into a cave on their holidays and just cannot come out of it. Everything is seen from the POV of a camera that one of them is holding (Like REC or Blair Witch). Things get worse by the minute as they suffer from dehydration, their batteries run out, and their general despair increases.

I am unlikely to end up trapped like these guys, as I wouldn't even walk into a dark elevator, but I do believe there's a certain amount of realism in this movie. A few people would have no hesitation in walking into a cave to impress some girls and could end up in a similar situation.

I thought the movie was entertaining for the most part, and it keeps you wondering if they are going to make it out of the cave alive. It even manages to be gripping at some stages.

So if you are into movies such as Blair Witch Project or REC, but didn't love the zombies or ghost aspect, you should enjoy La Cueva quite a lot.

The film sticks to typical character stereotypes, like you'd expect from any low-budget movie built around a single premise - in this case, five friends getting lost in a cave. The storytelling and character arcs don't bring anything new and rely heavily on familiar formulas. That also makes the jump scares quite predictable, always showing up exactly where you'd expect them.

However, the film does manage to create some tense and gripping moments, especially when it explores psychological pressure, fear of death, and how people mentally break down in extreme situations. These themes add depth to an otherwise conventional plot.

One thing that always bothers me personally - and this film is no exception - is when friend groups already feel unrealistic during the introduction phase. There's little believable chemistry or genuine connection between them, which makes you wonder as a viewer, 'Why are you even friends if you treat each other like this?'

That said, the ending was satisfying and wrapped things up in a way that felt earned. Also, the choice to use a found footage style was a smart one. It fit the theme very well and added to the intensity and realism of the story.