de grot be a terrific dutch thriller and base on the book write by tim krabbé . another of his book and het gouden ei be make into the great dutch mystery thriller call spoorloos ( the vanishing ) in 1988. this one be not as good a that thriller ( although much good than the american remake also call the vanishing ) but there be time it come close . especially the opening moment be terrific . we see a man and later we learn his name be egon wagter ( fedja van huêt ) and come from a plane in thailand . when he pick up his bag it be pretty clear that he be smuggle something across the border . these scene be perfectly direct and photograph and act . a kind of suspense be create that you would normally not have in an opening scene like this . later we see how egon make his deal in thailand with a woman and both state that they have never do anything like this . from this point the movie be constantly flashback and flash forward . we see how egon and still a a child ( here play by erik van der horst ) and befriend a guy name axel ( a a kid play by benja bruijning ) . we learn how they grow up a friend and sort of and and how axel ( a an adult play by marcel hensema ) become a criminal . egon in the meanwhile go to college and settle with a woman . around this time he sometimes meet axel but do not really want anything to do with him . the movie be chronological in a way . it show egon and axel a kid and than a student and young adult and and in their mid thirty . but from time to time and like i say and the movie go back to when they be kid and jump forward again . every time we see them a kid it explain something that happen when they be adult . minor spoiler herein . the title mean the cave and and it be the cave that give the movie it happy end and although it be in fact not that happy . like the beginning and the end be terrific . the middle part of the movie be entertain and in a way it distract our attention of the first scene and only to come back at that point in the end . it be the edit that give the movie it happy end and although we can say the dramatic end be happy in a way a well .