Product: The Descent (Original Unrated Cut) [Blu-ray] (2006)
Rating: 4.0
Stalag-Fright!
When I first saw previews for "The Descent," I immediately wrote it off as a copycat wannabe thriller like "The Cave." In fact, that's what took me so long to view this film. I figured that it would be just another dull spelunking horror flick. Boy, was I wrong. "The Descent" is one of the top horror flicks to come out in the last few years. The plot is simple enough: six ladies, all with varied intentions, head off to the Appalachian mountains for a weekend of spelunking fun. Once they hit the hole, however, they begin to discover a hidden agenda as well as some creepy, gel-skinned critters that are very, very hungry. The creatures begin to pick them off (as all good horror movie monsters do), but they don't do it quietly. In fact, these creatures are very vocal once they begin their attack. Who, if anybody, will make it out in the end?The cast is headed up by Shauna Macdonald and Natalie Jackson Mendoza. Both do a wonderful job with their characters, Sarah and Juno, respectively. The rest of the cave-hopping gang includes the talented Saskia Mulder, Alex Reid, MyAnna Buring and Nora-Jane Noone. American viewers will probably recognize Noone from her role in "The Magdalene Sisters," although she has less hair in "The Descent." All of the cast do a wonderful job with their roles and do manage to muster some sympathy from the viewers even though their characters aren't developed too deeply.The visuals in this film are breathtaking in two ways: the Scottish forests which double for the Appalachians are simply beautiful and the claustrophobic, dust-filled cavern squeezes tightly at even the most non-claustrophobic person's throat. Director Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers) knows how to highlight the vibrant greens of the forests and does so wonderfully despite the carnage that awaits underground. When the action does move into the dark, Marshall plays on the fears of the human mind by using limited visuals and near-constant dripping water, creaking noises, and violent growls, yelps, and screams. By cutting off the viewer's vision, Marshall notches up the suspense. He does sometimes rely on the "boo!" factor to get a few cheap thrills, but for the most part, Marshall keeps the suspense at a decent level and moves the film along at an agreeable pace.The DVD transfer is wonderful, with no flaws that I noticed. The colors of the forests, as I've bragged on before, pop off of the screen and blood never looked better. Special features include cast biographies, a documentary on the "making of" and other obligatory offerings. My favorite extra, and one that I suggest viewing after watching the film to lighten the air a bit, is the outtakes reel. The "crawlers" lose a bit of their fierceness in a hilarious bit in the outtakes.Overall, this is definitely one of the top horror films of late. Is it a classic? Probably not, but the fact is that when compared to other recent gorefests like "Hostel" and "Saw," "The Descent" rises above them. This is a definite purchase for fans of films like "The Hills Have Eyes" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Sci-fi fans will appreciate this flick as well. If you have a weak stomach or don't enjoy gory films in general, stay away. Also, if you're claustrophobic, you might not want to watch this either.