Movies / Home Theatre

The Descent

By Al Kratina
March 28, 2007 - 21:31

The Descent

2006, UK

Starring: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Jackson Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder

Directed by: Neil Marshall

Written by: Neil Marshall

Produced by: Christian Colson

Genres: Horror

Release Date: December 26, 2006 (DVD)

MPAA Rating: Rated R for strong violence/gore and language.

Distributors: Pathe Pictures International, Lions Gate

Running Time: 99 minutes

 

Horror films are like pornography. There’s no real need to put a lot of effort into making quality product, because the same dedicated fan base will watch them regardless, provided there are enough fluids sprayed around. Still, every once in a while, someone takes the time and effort to construct a really good horror or porn movie, either by basing scares on tension and realism instead of loud noises and blood, or by putting foundation on any acne scarring. The Descent, happily, is a case of the former, a well-made, frightening film that overcomes its strangely derivative premise to create an unusual and at times surprisingly original movie.

 

The first thing one might notice about The Descent is that it features an all female cast, which, were they all nurses, might suggest the latter of the two genres mentioned above. The second thing that stands out is that this film has already been a movie, The Cave, as well as a book, by Jeff Long, which was also called The Descent. And yet, no mention of this is made in the film’s credits, which is far more mysterious than any of the strange happenings that occur throughout the film. Nevertheless, despite its questionable inspirations, the film remains quite original. The female cast is quite unusual for a horror film, which generally requires at least one football playing character or ex-wrestler actor to make it appealing to people who drive Camaros. Even a stock co-ed massacre film or sorority slaughter movie has some boyfriends in it, getting stabbed through their varsity jackets, so that difference alone makes the film worth watching for its uniqueness alone. And the subtlety with which writer/director Neil Marshall approaches some of the characters’ interactions is unusual for any film, let alone a horror movie.

 

The Descent follows a group of six English spelunkers who set out to explore an un-mapped cave system deep in the backwoods United States. Trapped by a rockslide, they’re forced to travel further into the depths of the cave, where they discover a colony of those Batboys that grace the cover of every third edition of The Weekly World News. But even before the monsters show up to chew the women to bits like that meat grinder from Hustler, the film is supremely tense, the panic of the women as they lose themselves in the cave palpable and claustrophobic. The actresses are all unfamiliar, which creates a sense of realism that overcomes the shock cutting and simplistic storyline. But where the film really shines is in the relationships between the characters. The film’s protagonist, Sarah (Shauna Macdonald), is spelunking to overcome the death of her husband and young daughter in a car crash. Why she would choose to overcome grief with something that sounds as ridiculous as ‘spelunking’ seems strange to me, but maybe she’s battling depression with humor. In any case, her relationship with some of the other girls is strained, especially since one of them may have been sleeping with her husband. But none of this is made explicit. Instead, it simmers beneath the surface, adding to the tension instead of distracting from it.

The performances are uniformly strong, and the fact that the cast is so unfamiliar prevents outside personas from intruding into the story and, again, enhances the realism.  The special effects are gruesome, due to a combination of effective prosthetics and violent editing, and cinematographer Sam McCurdy’s visuals find inventive ways to work with the pitch black of the caves. As for Marshall’s script, it hits all the right notes, never underestimating its audience, and provides all the tension, fluids, and emotional involvement necessary for a good horror film, or a great porn.

 

Rating: 8 on 10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12