Scared the Hell Out of Me

Rating: 7/10 (2 January 2006)

"The Descent" is like "Steel Magnolias" crossed with "Deliverance," with a healthy dash of "Alien" and "The Blair Witch Project" thrown in for good measure. What a truly creepy, scary movie this is, and what a nice surprise to find that good horror movies are still being made.
This movie isn't for those with a weak stomach, as it's pretty gory. Yet it doesn't rely on gore for its scares. The director creates a claustrophobic atmosphere that would have been scary enough had the party of female cave explorers had nothing out of the ordinary to contend with. But throw in a batch of icky psycho tunnel dwellers and this movie becomes a nice blend of psychological and visceral horror.
It's also a movie that stuck with me for a long time after seeing it. It made me feel really bad, but in kind of a good way if that makes any sense. I felt after seeing it much like I felt after "The Blair Witch Project." This is one definitely worth hunting down (pun intended).
Grade: B+