"The Descent" reaches new heights of horror.

Rating: 10/10 (9 September 2009)

Sarah (Shauna MacDonald) could use some cheering up. Just one year ago, she lost her husband and her only daughter to a bad car accident. In an effort to cheer her up, five of her best friends take her on a vacation into the Appalachian Mountains for some routine spelunking. Things go horribly wrong, however, when they find themselves trapped and without a map inside one of the caves. Unfortunately for them, this cave has yet to be thoroughly explored and an unknown threat lurks in the darkness, ready to attack and threaten their solidarity and sanity.
Writer/director Neil Marshall spends ample time building up the characters to the point where they feel real, but also wastes no time in getting to the point. It isn't long before our characters are submersed into the abyss from which they spend 90 minutes of the film trying to escape. A claustrophobic's nightmare come true, the film makes sure you're in the cave with the characters as they fight for their lives with a careful balance of character development and spooky atmosphere, achieved by its stunning cinematography and authentic location. By the time you get to the gore and the creature effects, the movie has already done its job and the rest is just icing on the cake.
In fact, that's pretty much what sets "The Descent" apart from most modern horror stories. Rather than relying on outlandish death scenes and over-the-top gore, it's slightly restrained in its old-school approach that values tension over eye-candy. To be blunt, the death scenes are probably the last thing you'll remember from this film. What you'll likely take away from it is an unmistakable and unforgiving tone, a healthy portion of unforgettable imagery (see: climbing up a hill of human skulls) and an ending that will stay with you for days. It's a well-rounded, well-written and effectively directed film that warrants repeat viewings to absorb it all. With this film, Neil Marshall has certainly earned himself a spot in the echelon of iconic horror movie directors, and is truly a visionary to keep an eye on.
A sequel is currently on the horizon, although what would possess Sarah to enter that cave again remains to be seen, especially if you are to go by the original ending -- found in the "Original Unrated Cut" (the true version of the film) -- which leaves nowhere for a sequel to go. By itself, though, it stands alone as a modern classic for a reason and a film that will effectively creep out and thrill audiences for many decades to come. When this decade is looked back upon in future years, "The Descent" will no doubt sit at the top of the pile of films that helped define horror movie cinema in the new millennium.