An exhausting experience

Rating: 7/10 (12 February 2017)

Neil Marshall's The Descent received wide critical praise upon it's release, some even toting this 2005 film as one of the best horror movies of the decade. While I did find some aspects of the film quite underwhelming, The Descent provided one of the most intense and uncomfortable film experiences I've ever had.
While I myself am more a fan of subtle psychological horror films, ones that provoke thought whilst building the tension, The Descent was a nice change of pace. Of course we must get through the character introduction and scene-setting points in the story, but these sequences surprisingly didn't feel tiresome. All the characters we are introduced to are fairly interesting as they each slowly begin to generate their own personality traits and attitudes as the story progresses, only up until the bloodshed, but at that point, who the hell really cares, right? It's refreshing for a horror movie to portray the female characters as strong, independent and resourceful forces rather than the screaming bimbos we've become so accustomed to. Our characters aren't perfect though as they quite often play victim to the usual horror movie tropes and you'll find yourself yelling at the TV as characters make dumb decisions or have strange motivations for their actions.
One issue that I had with The Descent was the ending. While the ending ultimately seems appropriate, it was still supremely unsatisfying. It's almost as if the writers wrote themselves into a corner and couldn't find a rewarding way to end the story. There were also some poor set and lighting work at times but it wasn't majorly distracting. The scenes of combat against the hellish creatures were incomprehensible most of the time and it was fairly frustrating as I attempted to make out what exactly was happening, only having to wait until the fight was over to see who won. These fight scenes don't make up the majority of the film, but the shoddy camera-work is very noticeable and surprisingly amateur.
The Descent is an experience that will leave you exhausted. It's gruelling and tense almost constantly, merciless in it's depiction of claustrophobia and extreme violence. But once the initial waves of sickness and dread die down, the film finds ways to invigorate and energize the viewer. It's an experience you truly won't forget, but it's also one some may hesitate to return to.
A no-nonsense, gut wrenching thriller, The Descent is guaranteed to satisfy any viewer's gore-driven fantasies , especially those who didn't realize they had any.