Ever since the sad disappointment in “The Cave”, I have been leery of spelunking adventure horror. Normally, I’d think that dark, damp, cramped caves would be an excellent setting. Its probably why movies that rely on the setting seem to be so weak in other areas.
The Descent was released in Great Britain in 2005. It took the rave endorsement of a Scottish assistant who worked on the upcoming movie Sin-Jin Smythe at LA’s Fangoria Weekend of Horrors to get this jaded horror fan to give the movie sit through at a Sneak Preview.
So yeah, thanks Sean.
The setup is familiar: A group of friends, in this case six women, go on a caving trip and things get bad. Tempers and nerves fray, and injuries abound. Then the situation gets much, much worse as the cavers realize they are not alone. What sets The Decent above other to be unmentioned caving movies is the characters are memorable and played by credible, believable actresses. The cinematography is top notch, right form the start and add poignancy to the emotional moments and raw energy to the intense combat scenes.
Directed by Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers), The Descent is a high energy film that doesn’t skimp on the gore or visceral moments. While the exposition seemed to drag a touch in the beginning, Marshall had a way of making sure that just when things could become too slow, there’s a sudden change in direction. Some of the surprise scenes are truly surprising, even for experienced, and perhaps jaded horror fans.
The Descent is opening in US theaters August 4th. You won’t waste your money on this movie, and might even go see it twice, just to see your friends jump at the parts you know are coming.
