Overall Rating
  Awesome: 62.98%
Worth A Look: 16.02%
Average: 13.81%
Pretty Bad: 5.52%
Total Crap: 1.66%
13 reviews, 103 user ratings
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| Descent, The |
by Scott Weinberg
"Just when you thought it was safe to spelunk."
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Just about a week ago I saw a chintzy little studio-backed horror flick called "The Cave," and I was probably a little bit charitable by offering the thing a half-hearted recommendation -- mainly because I'm a sucker for underground monster movies. And now what should cross my path but another tale of subterranean slaughter from across the pond entitled "The Descent," which is not only everything "The Cave" should have been, but a lot more? And oooh, a whole lot more.We open with three young women who are longtime friends and frequent practitioners of semi-extreme sporting. Following a sweet trip kayaking down the rapids, one of our leading ladies is struck by a terrible family tragedy, which leads us to...
One year later, and the ladies (plus three newcomers) are gearing up for a weekend full of cave exploration. They're smart, they're prepared, they're raring to go...
And hoo boy are they in big trouble.
Basically, The Descent gave me everything I wanted from The Cave, and it delivered the goods in shockingly sure-handed fashion. The writer/director is Mr. Neil Marshall, who with this mini-masterpiece and the oft-applauded Dog Soldiers under his belt, is becoming quite the object of horror fanboy appreciation. Personally, I think the guy's 2 for 2, and both hits are home runs. And as wildly, strangely entertaining as Dog Soldiers is, The Descent is a confident step up for the sophomore filmmaker.
The Descent takes its time getting to the meat of the matter, but in no way is that meant as a criticism. The prologue, the early character development, and the first-act plot construction is handled deftly yet deliberately, as if Marshall wants you to get to know his all-female cast of characters ... but not too well. And heck, even before all hell breaks loose, Marshall does a fantastic job of setting up the tension, the claustrophobia, and the sense of foreboding malice. Suffice to say that The Descent is a lights-off, volume-up, don't get up for popcorn sort of horror / thriller / adventure combination.
Big points are due to Marshall for creating six different and intriguing female characters while being sure not to present them as broad stereotypes. One might expect the characters to wear labels like "the butch," "the bitch," "the whiner," and "the tough gal," but, with the help of an excellent cast, Marshall delivers six pick-wielding chicks who effortlessly command your attention, and they don't need cleavage shots to do it, either. Each of the actresses deliver solid work, although the standout has to be Natalie Mendoza, who plays a conflicted gal who's equal parts heroic, hateful, and terrified.
I'll not go in to any of the details regarding precisely what these women find deep below the earth's surface, nor shall I indicate as to whether it's animal, vegetable, or mineral in composition. Let's just say it ain't pleasant. The special effects are simple yet seriously effective, and the standout moment of squirmitude features the most nastily broken leg bone you ever will see. Marshall smartly alternates between standard cinematography and a documentary-style, which allows you to enjoy The Descent as a straightforward nail-biter and as a Blair Witch-style "you are there" marathon of malevolence. Plus, when used well, few things are scarier than the "night-vision goggle-cam."
If Marshall seems intent on making you wait for most of the "good stuff," well, he sure doesn't skimp once the dinner bell rings. The second half of The Descent is packed with slick surprises, shocking jolts, gruesome gore, and intermittently unbearable tension. And the director caps it all off with a denouement that's as stark and downbeat as it is enjoyably open to interpretation, which leaves the viewer something to chew over long after the end credits roll..
Bottom Line: This is a smart, slick, scary, speedy, and entirely excellent horror movie, and it's one that the hardcore horror hounds are going to have a lot of fun devouring.As the studios churn out wannabe after copycat, the finest in cinematic horror usually seems to come from a grass-roots source. "The Descent" is destined to land in that ever-lengthening list of "word of mouth" favorites that the horror fans love to talk about, and it deserves a spot on your DVD shelf right next to "Ginger Snaps," "May," "Frailty," "Session 9," and (of course) "Dog Soldiers." Well done, Mr. Marshall; we can't wait to see what you come up with next.
link directly to this review at http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=12642&reviewer=128
originally posted: 08/28/05 16:29:06
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OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2006 Sundance Film Festival For more in the 2006 Sundance Film Festival series, click here.
OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2006 Philadelphia Film Festival For more in the 2006 Philadelphia Film Festival series, click here.
OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2006 San Francisco Film Festival For more in the 2006 San Francisco Film Festival series, click here.
OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2006 Fantasia Film Festival For more in the 2006 Fantasia Film Festival series, click here.
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USA
04-Aug-2006 (R)
DVD: 26-Dec-2006
UK
08-Jul-2005
Australia
23-Nov-2006
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