Product: The Descent (Original Unrated Cut) [Blu-ray] (2006)
Rating: 4.0
[4.5] The caves alone make this horrifying
With an unknown cast the makes their performance memorable and the most clostrophobic of caverns, the monsters are just an added bonus to this well above average horror flick. Originality plays the biggest part of the film, pitting a group of females into the deepest of an unexplored cave in the Appalachian mountains. The incredibly creepy monsters, utter darkness, and fantastic camera work add just as much too.Though it's the cave creatures that are supposed to give the Descent its extreme scary horror, I actually found the caves themselves to be just as horrifying. This isn't too be watched lightly for those who suffer from clostrophobia. Thumbs up to the director for making this come to life, giving us the feel of being right in the middle of the cave climbing action. And I must not place too much emphasis on "climbing", for most of the time it seemed that there was more falling taking place. The first half of the film focuses on the caving alone, but the horror already begins there as the group of ladies fine themselves lost, stuck, and even injured.When the monsters make their entrance it is truly frightening as well. Because the cave is so dark, the only means of light for the girls are either their flashlights, lighters, or infrared via camcorder - which gives the film a Blair Witch Project feel at times too. Thus also begins the complete bloodfest that this film goes into, with each monster making a mess out of one of the ladies or vice versa. It becomes the ultimate means of survival - not only are the ladies trying to escape these creatures, but trying to find their way out of the caves as well. And as an added bonus, there is even a bit of drama between some of the ladies, with an added twist.I expected much from this movie and that's what I got, even a bit more. The monster scare and blood was just what I was expecting, but the camera work and sense of enclosed space was more than I had hoped. This turned out to be a truly frightful experience, and each time I watch it always gets to me. Just like Jaws kept so many out of the water, this is bound to keep you out of the caves.Acting - 4Characters - 4Horror - 5Story - 4Overall - 4.5