The Descent – ABC Film Challenge – Favourites – D – The Descent – Movie Review
Director: Neil Marshall
Writer: Neil Marshall (Screenplay)
Cast
- Shauna Macdonald (Mutant Chronicles)
- Natalie Mendoza (Moulin Rouge!)
- Alex Reid (Misfits)
- Saskia Mulder (The Beach)
- MyAnna Buring (Kill List)
Plot: A caving expedition goes horribly wrong, as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators.
Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Descent starts when six friends Sarah (Macdonald), June (Mendoza), Beth (Reid), Rebecca (Mulder), Sam (Buring) and Holly (Noone) go on a spelunking adventure. Sarah is still traumatized by the accident one year before, that saw her husband and child killed.
After some bonding between friends, the women head out on their adventure. However, Juno has surprised them with an uncharted caving system. When the entrance they use closes, the group must explore to find a way out. Although that isn’t the biggest problem when they run into a breed of predators who have adapted to the dark.
Verdict on The Descent
The Descent is a horror thriller following a group of spelunkers that find themselves trapped and being hunted by monsters. They must figure out a way out while staying ahead of the creatures hunting them down.
This is one of the best claustrophobic horror movies ever made. It uses the caving system to create unparalleled tension. While horror is the central focus of the movie. There is also a focus on the human aspect of loss, as Sarah is trying to recover from an unthinkable loss. The movie creates an amazing amount of chaos, that leaves us in a position of uncertainty about whether they can make it out alive.
This is a perfect example of how to make a brilliant horror movie on a tight budget. It has the action, the scares and well-developed characters to take us on the adventure.
Final Thoughts – The Descent is an excellent, nerve-shredding horror movie.
