Product: The Descent (Original Unrated Cut) [Blu-ray] (2006)
Rating: 5.0
How horror should be!
When walking into the theater Friday night I had high expectations. This film has been hyped up by critics of all people as one of the scariest films in the past years and that to me says a lot. I've been so disappointed lately with the slump in genuine horror films that I had all but given up in really finding a worthy scare...that was until I heard about 'The Descent'. Granted, there have been horror films of late that have proven to be watchable, to be intense and at times, yes even a little scary, but nothing that had my skin crawling. I wanted to feel trapped, helpless and alone. I can honestly say that throughout the majority of this film that is how I felt, even though the theater was packed and my brother was sitting right next to me.'The Descent' centers on a group of women who enjoy pushing themselves to the limit. The movie opens with three of them, Sarah (Shauna MacDonald), Beth (Alex Reid) and Juno (Natalie Mendoza) rafting down some rapids while Sarah's husband and daughter watch in amazement. These girls are fearless...until tragedy strikes in the form of a freak accident that takes the life of Sarah's family. A year later the three girls meet again for their yearly adventure, this time in the Appellation Mountains for some caving. They meet up with three other girls, sisters Sam (MyAnna Buring) and Rebecca (Saskia Mulder) and new addition Holly (Nora-Jane Noone), all of whom we have a few minutes to get to know, and then they're off. Juno is the leader of the group, she called the group together for their adventure and she serves as their guide. The only problem is she's not much of a guide being that she doesn't know the cave's they enter.Soon after entering these unknown, uncharted and undiscovered caves the girls become trapped when their point of entry caves in. Without a map these girls have to find their way out, find another exit by burrowing deeper into the cave. This fills the viewer with a sense of claustrophobia that doesn't go away until the credits role. The monsters haven't even shown up and you're already on edge. Everything around these girls is foreign to them, is a potential danger. They are forced to push themselves as far as they can go, to the point of wanting to give up for everything looks helpless. The viewer is also forced to feel this way. I had what I wanted. I felt trapped as they did, I felt helpless as they did, and once the creatures show up, and in a rush of panic the girls separate...I felt alone as they did.From the moment the crawlers show up the movie takes a frantic turn from increasingly creepy and atmospheric to intense and horrific as these girls fight to survive, let alone escape. As intentions are revealed between the girls it also makes things all the more horrifying for you don't know who to trust. If you can't trust anyone then you truly are alone. The pace doesn't let up once the creatures are on the screen, and your heart won't stop racing either. As some of the critics have pointed out, this is a truly horrific film with images that won't leave you anytime soon, and yes, while I was able to sleep alright and didn't toss and turn in fear I was haunted by what I saw. This is not a film for the squeamish, that's a fact not an opinion. Neil Marshall did a brilliant job directing this film, giving it the raw edge that true horror films need, giving it not only jump scenes with blood and gore but building a layer, a foundation of fear before the first drop of blood is shed. And the actresses need to be commended for proving to be believable as well as likable, never 'over-acting' but giving us the feel that this is really happening and that these women are really that petrified (as I'm sure even the manliest of men would be in that given situation). Amazing job all the way around without much of a single drawback.I do say 'without much' and I only say that because of the ending. Now I've seen the US version so I can't speak for the UK version that has a different ending I hear. The US ending, while not horrible, leaves you wondering what is really going on. I have my ideas, that of which I won't share so as not to spoil anything, but I will say that it reminded me a bit of the way I felt after watching 'The Ring'. The only drawback to that film was that the ending didn't answer any of our questions, it just added to the confusion. I felt that way after watching 'The Descent'...confused...but it's not really enough to harp on. The movie does enough redeeming work BEFORE the ending that it's easily forgiven.