Breathlessly gripping and fun!

Rating: 9/10 (10 August 2006)

As a big fan of Neil Marshall's previous film "Dog Soldiers," I had been looking forward to "The Descent" for quite some time, so yesterday a couple friends and I went out to a late night showing.
It was one of the best times we've had in a movie theater.
The film has an excellent, tight script that keeps the action moving, with believable characters in largely believable situations (strongly acted by a fabulous, largely unknown, cast). One of the amazing things about the film is how a very common injury - something thousands of doctors see every day - is one of the most tense, squirm-inducing moments on the screen.
And that scene, along with the cast's hair-raising squeeze through the caves, really primes the audience for the horror that comes afterward.
We all squealed, winced, gasped, laughed, and eventually clapped in appreciation at, in my humble opinion, one of the finest horror films to come along in years.
If you want to go the theater for a night of fun scares and entertainment, you will not leave disappointed!