The Descent on DVD (2005)

Mia from Oxford, England. , 12/07/2005

After having seen Dog Soldiers and frequently read Neil Marshal's monthly diary coloumn titled 'The Marshal Chronicles,' in Total Film every month, I had been eagerly awaiting his follow-up to (In my opinion) the best werewolf film made since American Werewolf In London.

The Descent draws some small similarities with Dog Soldiers: the deaths are not all caused by the beasties in the dark, a group of people face an unknwon monster, isolated and cut off from the rest of the world, we begin the story, focusing on one character's point of view... but these similarities are small and almost undetectable unless you know that you are watching a Neil Marshal film.

Whereas Dog Soldiers was humourous and action-packed as well as a solid and definite horror film, The Descent is far more serious and fast-paced, Marshal hardly ever allowing his characters moments to breath between monster attacks.

The 'crawlers' are monstrous humanoids that hunt using sound and have pointy sharp teeth, eating most of their victims alive. There is almost one point when the violence and gore seems reminiscent of a George A Romero zombie death as the crawlers dig into the live character's stomach whilst her friend watches, screaming (yeugh!)

Indeed, the primal terror and fear is rife within the film and whilst the only breather the audience receives from the turbulent sequence of events is a brief interlude after the main shock-gore beginning is used as a chance to introduce the audience to the six female characters.

Neil Marshal is well on the way to establishing himself as one of Britain's greatest horror film makers of the 21st century.. possibly even the 20th. Whilst Dog Soldiers was an absolute riot, The Descent is creepy, bloody and brutal but unmistakably brilliant.

  111 out of 152 people found this review helpful

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JediSi , 21/08/2007

12 months after a fatal road accident, six friends decide to go caving deep beneath the Appalachian Mountains. It's not long before a minor collapse causes them to be unable to go back the way they came, and they're not sure there is another way out. This appears to be the least of their worries as Sarah swears she sees something else down there.

The scene in which Sarah's daughter is killed freaked me out a bit and I didn't feel it to be necessary for the film. I appreciate it was there to set Sarah's tragedy but it could've been done a bit differently. The way in which her daughter dies happens everyday on Britains roads and does drive home how fragile life is and how quickly and easily it can be taken away. That said, the rest of the film is impeccable, almost as good as Dog Soldiers. Very dark, very tight and nowhere to run. In my list of 'Things to do before you're 40', pot-holing has now been scrubbed. There is no way you're gonna get me down there now. Good acting, fantastic plot makes this edge-of-your-seat thrill ride an amazing journey.

I'm an English teacher not ******* Tomb Raider

  49 out of 54 people found this review helpful

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weeguy from Midlothian , 03/08/2005

I love horror films.

Good tension-building, hair standing up on the back of your neck horror.

So I am often extremely disappointed that many alleged horror films, with no atmosphere and directors relying on cheap gore to shock, are not even scary. This film was, therefore a welcome relief.

British Director Neil Marshall's debut Dog Soldiers isolated a group of male soldiers in the Highlands of Scotland (really Luxembourg!!) fighting for their lives against a group of werewolves. The Descent keeps the same basic formula but this time it’s a group of women doing the fighting: comparatively, Dog Soldiers were little girls, in pink dresses. Frilly ones.

Six friends on a caving trip find themselves trapped underground without hope of rescue – and they're not alone, to say the least. Of course, things go from bad to worse; rockfalls, lies, infighting and a grotesque injury being the first hurdles they have to face. However, these pale into insignificance when they meet ‘the crawlers’.

Many of the scenes of the girls under attack are unflinchingly gory but this is a necessary visceral evocation, this is not a civilized enemy they are facing.

This film is by no means perfect but is surprisingly effective, has good, dirty, gritty performances (particularly Shauna Macdonald) and Marshall excels in building an atmosphere of subterranean claustrophobic tension. He also pays homage to others: most notably ‘Carrie’.

Watch this – in the dark.

  48 out of 56 people found this review helpful

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monkeymagic from Folkestone , 14/08/2005

Superb movie. Watch it - you won't regret it!

Imagine the best bits of the best thriller and horrors films you've seen

rolled into one original, claustrophobic movie. Billiantly acted;

brilliantly photographed and brilliantly directed. The best film I've seen

for ages. NOT your usual cheesy slash-flick.

This film relies on atmosphere and not gore (although there is some). There is very little I can say about this film that is negative - now how many films can you say that about? 'The Descent' pushes boundaries.

Destined to become a classic!

  27 out of 34 people found this review helpful

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SChoudry from London , 15/08/2008

This film began promisingly enough but descended into a blood fest in no time. Too much of limbs being hacked away and people bathing in blood!!

This is a shame because the first 30 min had me hooked. The tension and suspense was built up very nicely initially but thereafter it all went downhill terribly fast.

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vonbon from lanarkshire , 19/08/2008

yes my heart did skip a beat a few times.even the thought of sqeezing through the tunnels had me tense-its so claustrophobic-never mind with the subterranean flesh ripping creatures.there was just enough gore to give you the general atmosphere without making you want to puke.

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