Formulaic, but expertly done

Rating: 7/10 (9 July 2005)

I've never been one for adrenalin addiction action sports. If I had to pick one it probably wouldn't be pot-holing. One enthusiast explains the attraction: ". . . as much a psychological as well as a physical activity. You should be prepared to push the envelope as far as both your mind and body are concerned, but the rewards are endless. Try this exciting and challenging sport and you will see how it allows your imagination to run wild as it takes you to the brink of what is both challenging and mysterious." I went to see this nasty little blood-soaked movie wondering whether I would thrill to find a genuinely new British horror innovation, or alternatively just enjoy a camp and less-than-scary diet of gore-fest. (Yes, sad as it is, I am a fan of horror movies.) The Descent turned out to be neither of the two main categories but, in its merciful 99 minutes, delivers a better share of shocks than most.
Six strong, capable women (one of them recovering from a traumatic bereavement) set off into the Appalachian Mountains for a pot-holing experience. They seem like regular, good looking and intelligent women, mostly with some pot-holing experience. Even before we go underground (especially if you've seen the trailer) the litany of psychological challenges are promising, as the self-appointed leader of the group lists claustrophobia, paranoia, and a host of other hurdles to jump.
The film has been expertly put together, however formulaically. There is the initial attention-grabbing horrific incident in the first few minutes, the type of female characters that are designed to appeal to women as well as men, skillful editing to make you drop your popcorn by letting you relax momentarily first (so the sudden shock is greater), a cutesy kid, very effective use of light and dark, monsters that have some 'reasonable' connection with their environment, and a reality factor from the interesting mechanics of climbing down into caves and how you cross seemingly impossible chasms. Once it gets under way, there is little or no pause for light relief. You make a prediction to yourself about how many if any will get out alive, then sit back and have the wits scared out of you.
Comparisons to Creep are valid - the storyline and mutants have some similarity, as do the pacing and denouement. Those to Deliverance and Aliens less so - those two were outstanding movies involving deep character development and masterly pacing - in category way beyond this Saturday-night shocker. But The Descent delivers on its promise of being very, very scary for the time you're in the cinema. You won't go home looking over your shoulder for monsters, but if you're easily unnerved you're probably better off not leaving home in the first place.