Product: The Descent (Original Unrated Cut) [Blu-ray] (2006)
Rating: 4.0
DESCENT IS DECENT
Buoyed by a tremendously effective atmospheric horror and a claustrophobic sense of terror, THE DESCENT is indeed a riveting film experience, well directed by DOG SOLDIERS' Neil Marshall and containing good performances from its relatively all female cast.A group of six friends embark on a relatively routine spelunking adventure in the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee. The group includes a woman who lost her husband and daughter in a tragic auto accident one year earlier and whose stability is undoubtedly questionable. They're not in the cave very long when the expedition's planner announces that this cave is one that has not been explored so no one knows that the group is in the cave. A cave in traps the women and soon they find that they are not alone...something deadly is stalking them.Marshall builds tension incredibly well, and unlike most movies set subterraneanly, the lighting lets us see pretty well what happens, even if the frenetic camera work is sometimes disturbing. There are some confusing moments regarding the accidental death of one of the team, and the typically ambiguous ending. But overall horror fans should delight in this exquisitely done flick.