Product: The Descent (Original Unrated Cut) [Blu-ray] (2006)
Rating: 5.0
Terrific masterpiece of the genre
Last year heralded a ton of really good rated R horror films. From High Tension to Wolf Creek to Saw 2 to, most recently, Hostel, these films were terrifying, grotesque and gory. Onto this scene comes this gem of a movie from Dog Soldier's director Neil Marshall. The Descent rivals all of the previously mentioned horror films in terms of horror. While it won't live up to the gore involved in the films above, it succeeds in topping all three in terms of abject horror and terror.What makes this review a difficult one to write is that I don't want to tell you anything about it. I will tell you that its about a group of women who, every year, go on some sort of extreme sporting expedition. This year, they decide to go spelunking and what follows will test their friendship and their lives like no other event could. That's about as much as I want to tell you. A lot of reviews and websites detail some things that happen about 30 minutes from the end of the film. And this is a film where the less you know, the better.Using pitch black tones with just hints of light, Marshall creates a great cinematic tapestry in which to thrust his characters. In this way, he creates a very claustrophobic atmosphere and presses down on you. He also plays with some of the horror conventions (like using a camera, for instance) to great and chilling effect.I have been watching horror films since before I really should have. While there have been films in which I have "jumped" or was spooked by something (loud noise, quick image or what have you), this is the first film in which I have shouted. In fact, I almost fell out of my chair. And from that point on, I was on pins and needles. It was genuinely thrilling to finally have a movie terrify me to the point where I just sat there and watched the credits roll for a few minutes.I would definitely recommend this film to any and all horror fans. It is probably the most terrifying movie I have seen in a very long time. And is hands down the best horror film I have seen in the last year.