The power of claustrophobia

Rating: 9/10 (7 January 2020)

The Descent is still as scary and riveting then when I first saw this at the age of 13. It creeps inside you, and won't let to not think about: "What if"... It doesn't contain unnecessary jump scares, yet it still keeps you at the edge of your seat. It's quiet when it has to be - and those parts are probably the most horrifying - , and it's loud when you wouldn't expect it to be. We have strong female protagonists, free of typical horror movie cliches and a powerful, tragic story. Just as they - us, the viewers also experience the caves claustrophobic feels, it plays with our minds just as much as it does with the characters. Neil Marshall's movie still holds up after one and a half decade thanks to its dark and depressing originality and the undeniably unexpected dark and twisted ending, which unfortunately can rarely be found in todays 'sequel-world' of cinema.