Good claustrophobic horror movie

Rating: 6/10 (19 March 2006)

"The Descent" is a horror movie that avoids the genre's clichés for the most part. There is no inane nudity (if nudity can ever be "inane") and the first appearance of horror elements isn't rushed. The all female characters and their relationships to each other are explained decently enough and after a short intro we enter the dark cave with them. The more time the six women spend underground the more the claustrophobic atmosphere and the constant darkness begin to affect the viewer, too. You are trapped down there with them and as you watch them getting lost you begin to feel just as uncomfortable as they do. As if being trapped in an unexplored cave wasn't enough, creepy, flesh-eating creatures start turning up and all hell breaks loose. The second half of the movie is a gorefest galore.
For a story that could easily have turned into a predictable and campy b-movie, writer and director Neil Marshall brought out the best of his little flick. The creatures look pretty good (could they have been inspired by the infamous K-Fee spots, by any chance?), the pacing is tight and fast, and, as I've said before, Marshall really knows how to create tension. Personally, I was a little turned off by the general darkness and the quick editing, though. Most of the time it was hard to make out what was going on, which was a bit confusing and annoying.
Anyway, Marshall has already deservedly made a name for himself among fans with this movie and "Dog Soldiers". Hopefully he will continue making horror movies as well worth seeing as "The Descent".