Need more than 1000 words. IN ONE WORD. PERFECT.

Rating: 10/10 (17 August 2016)

Hi !
This movie is pure excellence, unlike the 'it's pure garbage' that I am reading from people whom did not like it at all. I will respect others opinions and if they fell it's an utter poss and it's 'the worst film I ever saw in my life.. With that said. So back to my feelings on this. I really can't understand people, I just don't...I'll try... I know it is not a movie that tries to be Oscar-worthy with deep layers of morality (there is some in this movie) and complex character development around a dramatic story. For horror ones (I despise this term I prefer thriller/suspense with horror elements, I know this is high categorizing which I don't like either, since it's pigeon holing, The audience also forgets that there are over 50,000 movies, it's 'normal' if someone else remade what you did. At some point, things can look similar when there are so many movies. ..so please cut some slack and be considerate of how hard it is to make a movie. So with that, further, said.
I want to say this movies is pure excellence because it hits the right notes : claustrophobia (some don't like that, hence hate the movie..understandable, still this element raises the movies scare factor), darkness (extremely important to increase the psychological factor (who is isn't afraid of utter darkness - stuck in a cave?), extremely impressive soundtrack and aural experience (the sound designers made sure there is reverberation and 'cave echo' everywhere in the movie (unlike in Descent 2, which is more flat sonic-ally and greatly affects the viewers spatial situations effect (trapped in a silent cave where every surround sound is heard in echo 3D surround sound fashion. In fact, The Descent boasts an incredible 7.1 channels instead of regular 5.1 (still great), the difference is massive, you hear creatures behind you, (side left, side right) everywhere this level of 3D surround sound 'envelopping/engulfing' effect is not heard of in other horror movies, where you feel more a passive eye, here you feel on the scene right in the cave - with the women.))), it features all-women cast (new, but not,,but new enough - as spelunkers, very new thus a originality), the creatures (which everyone laughs out as poor man's version of 'ghollum troll' or some other 'fake *ss' ''costume-prosthetics''...great ''prosthetics'', like great '3D CGI', as a tool, have their place and I don't think the 'bareness' of these cave creatures should be so dismissed (''a 'naked dude' with a 'ghollum mask'...nice..very scary.not.''). For me, the first part is a slow build-up, and the best one, I saw this at Fantasia in 2005, it took my breath away (No movie had done this in at least 20 years time, since the first Alien, and this movie is an homage to it also, Mr.Marshall said that he was inspired by these great horror movies such as the terrifying and slow potboiler Alien 1 of Mr.Scott),
I remember looking at these women fighting the Cave, fighting themselves (friendships dissolve as they are now - each fending for themselves), fighting death (pure survival), fighting creatures (yeah OK they don't exist - its a 'FICTION' read that word/Calm down with the 'it doesn't make sense/it's stupid and nonsensical brainless movie' accusation and an Excellent at that, but still they are late enough and have a certain degree of 'fitting in', it 'could' be possible (even if some said, these creatures would have evolved outside the cave/left it...not necessarily, they could have evolved Inside), When they face the pits/chasm it's utterly terrifying (to try to cross over and not fall to their death), the cave is so mean and unforgiving. Mr.Marshall uses important elements like coloring palette (he uses red during deadly scenes, green in more danger-free scenes, important red flare lighting and deep shadows blacks darkness to hide the elements and enhance utter fear) scares (great) hate the 'jumpscare' 'boo! a flying cat!' categorization (so pejorative and demeaning, it cheapens the horror genre to a big joke - 'cheap scares'...thanks..but dread is scary...but you do not scare someone - with ONLY dread, you need higher than that, 'jump' scares are that element that TAKE people by SURPRISE, you need it, you may despise it but it's a reality, to scare you, you need to be startled. The actress are incredible and heightened the fear (they are screaming, emotions and full of tears, you know this could BE YOU in the cave, surviving). , the scares are extremely well made with musical accents (staccato) but the whole movie is almost in surround silence (we only hear the surrounding noise of the cave and women's footsteps echos- frightening), there is utter viscerally and 'fight to the death' to live. It's a story of pure survival (blood, gore is never just for the sake, they really fight to death and Mr.Marshall makes sure we feel the grittiness of the survival. Survival Horror categorization (is what is used in games like Resident Evil)).
The cave is so foreboding is takes a form of 'character' itself (the shadows sculpt all the nice rock patterns, very detailed and realistic set construction, I saw the making of the Styrofoam rock sets). SIMPLY PUT : THE BEST SUSPENSE THRILLER HORROR/WITH HORROR ELEMENTS SINCE ALIEN 1 AND SHINING, YES, EVEN SHINING OR EXORCIST. Congrats Mr.Marshall, please make The Descent 3 (Descent 2 was great but nowhere near 1st one), I await it so much.