Don't Miss It

Rating: 10/10 (31 March 2006)

This is one of the very best horror films ever made, but that's really not a surprise as "Dog Soldiers" Director Neil Marshall was at the helm.
I've long been a fan of the genre. Having said that, my disgust with Hollyweird for dumbing down horror is at its peak. Filmmakers, producers, studio execs, ad nauseum, seem to think their audience is made up of a bunch of slobbering nose-pickers with a mean I.Q. rating of seventy. Remake after sorry remake continue to churn out of the American movie making machine, fixing what was never broken, safely editing the resulting schlock to earn a PG13 rating so that all the kiddies can get in on a Saturday night without Mommy and Daddy. It's enough to make a girl want to pull all her hair out at the roots.
Enter "The Descent," which is intelligent, well written, well acted and one heck of a ride. Talk about a girl's trip gone awry...Six strong, smart women leave civilization (well, somewhat; they are in the heart of the Appalachians. Shades of "Deliverance," which is unsettling enough) to explore the depths of an unknown cave. They're well prepared and they make all the right decisions, but from the moment they descend into the mouth of the cavern they are screwed. It's painful to watch the mental unraveling of the main character, Sarah, and likewise painful to realize that escape from the hell they find themselves in is futile, but to me it's part of what makes this film so great. These characters are easy to like and sympathize with, and none of them are safe.
If you're a big fan of the same old tired formula horror--and if you liked the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" remake--don't bother. If, however, you like a good scarefest with some brains, you must see this movie.