Product: The Descent (Original Unrated Cut) [Blu-ray] (2006)
Rating: 4.0
Terrifying
I'm not a horror film buff, but I know a great horror flick when I see one, and "The Descent" is probably the best entry in the genre in a very long time. Most movies of this type lose their ability to scare (me, anyway) by the second viewing. Not "The Descent." Feelings of claustrophobia, panic, disorientation and dread cropped up even when I watched this movie a third time.This is a combination adventure/monster movie. It's got all the physical action of an Indiana Jones flick (only played out by six women!), mixed with the gory shocks of the original Alien. Seemingly against the odds, director Neil Marshall succeeds beyond my wildest expectations. I cared about the characters, I was sickened, I was disturbed. What more can you ask from a movie about cavers going up against man-eating bat creatures?The cast is uniformly excellent. Marshall's direction is brilliant. The sets are completely convincing. The scares are well placed and effective. I never thought I'd say this, but I loved both endings. The cinematography and music are first-rate.What sticks in my mind most of all is the first encounter with the Crawlers. I won't give it away, but the reveal of the cannibal in the bone room is, quite simply, the most effective shock I've ever seen in a movie. Marshall places it at just the right moment, so that you never quite know when to expect it ... and then BANG! Who the hell is THAT guy?!?Great movie.