Best Movies to See Instead of Sanctum

Sanctum is the new 3-D film being promoted by co-producer James Cameron. The story is about a group of people who go diving and get trapped in a large underwater cave system. It opened this weekend but after reading Sanctum reviews such as "a documentary on the formation of stalagmites would have been more compelling" or "a poster child for the horrors of 3-D used badly", you might not want to spend ten bucks seeing it at the theaters.

127 Hours (2010)

If you are in the mood for an adventure thriller involving being trapped in a cave, a better bet for your money would be to see the Oscar nominated film 127 Hours instead of Sanctum. 127 Hours is based on a true story about a man who gets trapped in a cave after a boulder falls on him. It stars James Franco who has received an Oscar nomination for his performance. In his review, film critic Roger Ebert called 127 Hours compulsively watchable.

The Descent (2005)

Another good alternative to Sanctum if you're wishing to see a movie with the setting of a cave is the horror thriller The Descent. The Descent is about a group of friends who go spelunking but end up trapped inside a cave along with something or someone else.

The Abyss (1989)

If you don't care so much about being trapped in a cave as you do seeing some dive action, The Abyss is an alternative to Sanctum as well. The Abyss was written and directed by James Cameron, and stars Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Ed Harris, and Michael Biehn. The movie is about a diving team who goes in search for a submarine and ends up finding something much different.

Sources:

Puig, Claudia. USA Today, "'Sanctum': Don't cave in and see this mess." URL: http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2011-02-04-sanctum04_ST_N.htm

Ebert, Roger. "Sanctum." URL: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110202/REVIEWS/110209994/1023