The horror genre has always been my favorite, no matter how many great action or romance movies I've seen The genre is meant to unsettle, frighten, and horrify its audience, and many films have succeeded in doing so

However, there is one film in particular that is genuinely scary, and you may be surprised at how well it evokes feelings of fear That film is "Descent," which happens to be one of my favorite horror thrillers

Released nearly 20 years ago, "The Descent" begins as a thrilling adventure film that soon turns into pure nightmare fuel in the best possible way Not for those who don't enjoy blood, gore, and visceral horror, but for those who like a good horror experience

Despite the fact that you can currently stream the film on Prime Video, it won't be available on that platform for long Here's why you should watch "The Descent" this week before leaving Prime Video, one of the best streaming services

"The Descent" follows Sarah (Shauna McDonald), Juno (Natalie Mendoza), Beth (Alex Reid), Sam (Myanna Berling), Rebecca (Saskia Mulder), and Holly (Nora= Jane Noon) portray a group of six women Sarah is still grieving the recent loss of her husband and daughter in a car accident, and this trip is meant to help her heal

As they explore the cave, the experience becomes more thrilling as the women encounter narrow passages and dangerous drops The group also finds strange cave murals and evidence of previous explorations

However, the women's adventure soon turns into a nightmare when they realize they are not alone in the unknown cave They come across a colony of subterranean humanoid creatures called "crawlers" They are blind but have developed hearing and are highly adapted to their dark environment These voracious cannibals begin hunting women one by one, leading to a terrifying struggle for survival

With an impressive score of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, "Descent" is clearly worth watching, even if you don't like scary things

RogerEbert's Jim Emerson described the film best: "At last, a scary movie with teeth, not just blood and guts--a savage, gripping work that jangles the nerves without dangling the brain"

Meanwhile, Stephanie Archer of Film Inquiry praised the film's genuine scares: "'Dissent' is part of a long lineage of horror films that prey on the audience's intuitive fears and skillfully surfaces these fears in a film that is sometimes painful to watch and experience surfaces these fears in a film that is at times difficult to watch and experience"

The film is also dark

Set deep within a dark, labyrinthine cave, "Descent" creates a sense of isolation and claustrophobia, intensifying the psychological terror experienced by the characters and the anxiety of the audience

While occasionally "cheesy boo-hoo" and a bit phony at times, the film remains an influential force in the horror genre and certainly gets under my skin (as well as many horror films that don't)

"Dissent" will be available on Prime Video until June 29 at midnight PDT That means you can watch a really scary horror movie this week

Of course, it's not for everyone, and I understand that it has "distracting horror effects," but the tension alone is enough to rank it as one of my favorite horror thrillers of all time As Mark Savlov of The Austin Chronicle put it: "Dissent" may not be everything you've heard of, but there's plenty you haven't

In the mood for more horror? We found the best horror action movies on Prime Video, and before you leave Netflix, you can check out this classic horror franchise, too