My GOD!!!, there cannot be a more stressful movie than this one, seriously. The suspence is BRILLIANT!!, its very creepy and you jump quite a lot. i think the horror fan will definitely enjoy this one. VERY VERY recomended.

there were a few ridiculous/stupid scenes, like when an average person becomes the hero for a minute or when they fight very cool all of a sudden...yeah...

The ending is not for everyone, i felt a little "meh" about it, but still great!

oooh! and theres plenty of gore thats always good

A

............actually the more i think about it that was the perfect ending, something a little different!

God I'm dying to see this one, fucking release it in America already.

One of the best horror films in recent history. I thought it lost some steam when it stopped focusing on the claustrophobia and moved onto the creatures, but the character dynamics are so tremendous, it manages to stay afloat.

A

I've seen this several times now, but I want to hold off on a full fledge review until it's released here in the states.

It's one of the best horror films in recent history, though. I can't wait to see the reaction here when it's released.

its hasnt been released in the US?!? When does it open?!

I have been hearing about this one for a few months now and after browsing around for reaction to The Hills Have Eyes, it was getting a few mentions as being one of the best horror movies of recent years. So, I downloaded it and gave it a shot. Pretty damn good I must say.

The Descent has a great concept going for it; a group of friends decide to do some cave exploring and end up encountering more than they bargained for. Once they get into the caves the utter claustrophobia that ensues is brilliantly evoked in the way that the movie is shot with only the girls flashlights to illuminate things for the viewer. As they traverse some seriously tight passage-ways, I was thinking about how much that kind of thing would freak me out. The suspense is slowly ratcheted up, until that kick-ass jump scare where we see one of the creatures in the night-vision camera. All hell breaks loose and it becomes a fight to survive long enough to find a way out.

The creature design is wonderfully grotesque (think gollum on steriods) and their lack of sight makes for some intense sequences where they are literally centimetres away from, and in one case, standing on one of the girls. It's chilling because it seems quite plausible that some deep, dark places on this earth could be home to such things. I could complain about the crazy shaky-cam during the attacks, but it is mostly effective in creating a sense of panic and the speed of the beasts.

The unknown (to me) cast all do a fine job in selling the drama and although a couple of the girls do get a little too "Lara Croft" at certain points, it didn't distract too much. There was one particularly touching moment when our main protagonist has to mercy kill her best friend before the creatures arrive to feed on her in her helpless state. And while I didn't like what Sarah did to Juno near the end, she ended up being screwed anyway, in what was a very gutsy, very 25th Hour-like ending.

A-

Wow. That is really all I can say. Not only is this one of the most suspensful "claustraphobia" type films, it is also hands down one of the best horror films of recent memory.

From the opening credits the filmmakers establish that this film is more focused on the human drama then other splatter and gore films. It often works, such as in The Hills Have Eyes, and The Descent is no exception. By creating sympathy for the main characters the film has a much greater emotional impact on the viewer and that is certainly evident towards the end with a few of the sequences.

Its hard to say much without giving away plot points and so I'll stop with that, but basically, its a horror film not to be missed.

A

I think it's how they treat the relationship between Juno and Sarah that makes it such a great horror film. It's a very well observed character piece underneath all the horror elements, and it helps make the outcome all the more tragic.

In fact, I'd even go so far as to say the film didn't need the monsters. Just having the women fall prey to the dangers of a treacherous cave system and their own paranoia would've been enough to lead to a similar outcome.

Agreed Snrub. The monsters add a nice tough as you have this amazing buildup with all of the tension and such, but they aren't needed at all.

I loved how it touched on so many subjects briefly so many moral questions and such? Was it right for such and such to do that? Etc. And each character had their imperfections which came out so well throughout.

A Brilliant Horror Movie. One of the best of the last 10 years. I was bloody terrified by some of the scenes and the lack of lighting just heightened the tension. The thought that movies like Stay Alive or WASC will end up making more money then this makes me want to cry.

A+

I really didn't like it very much. It was alright, and it had some nice gore effects in it, but it was really boring. Especially the first fourty-five minutes, and this is coming from someone who loved WOLF CREEK. It's your average horror movie.

7/10 (B-)

Saw it again on DVD and it holds up pretty well on second viewing, i actually jumped a few times

A

Here is a more full review.

THE DESCENT




Starring Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder, MyAnna Buring and Nora-Jane Noone.

Synopsis: 6 women on a caving expedition in Appalachian mountains are forced deeper into an unknown cave system when the entrance tunnel they use collapses and they must search for another way out, and in the darkness of the depths something hungry and unpleasant awaits.

Horror in todays age is a strange beast, its output is at a healthy level be it the macabre set-ups of the "Saw" and "Final Destination" franchises, the raft of remakes like "The Amityville Horror" "The Omen" and "The Hills have Eyes" all the way to the recent development of the PG-13 horrors of "Stay Alive" and "An American Haunting". And yet despite all the choices these movies all lack that one essential ingredient to reach levels of greatness, the ability to actually terrify and scare. Yes they all have their moments of sparodic entertainment and chills but in the end they pale against the classics of the genre ala "The Thing" "The Shining" et al. The modern viewer it seems has been conditioned to accept horror without any actual horror so when the time comes for you to sit down and watch "The Descent" its effect is quite simply incredible. If you've been looking for a modern movie that will leave you drained of nerves and covered in sweat like the titans of old then this is where you will find it.

Horror enthusiasts who make it their business to seek out all the new entries to the genre will doubtless have come across "Dog Soldiers" the earlier effort from "The Descent" director Neil Marshall. A firmly tongue in cheek Werewolves horror with British army squaddies battling the hairy beasts in the Scottish highlands, it was a film the despite the low budget showcased the talents of a man who had real knowledge of the horror art, this skill was noticed and when the script for "The Descent" was penned more then adequate funding was available to bring it to the screen.

Its set-up of 6 females on a caving trip is deceptively simplistic but then all truly great horror is, its what is hung on the frame that defines a movies true quality and there is plenty attacted to this. The use of 6 actresses who are completely unknown to the average audience (bar Shauna Macdonald and Nora-Jane Noone who would be known to British soap opera viewers) ensures that nobody goes in with pre-formed opinions and this allows the director to mold their appearance with ease. Be it Jane Noone's thrill seeking Holly, Saskia Mulders motherly Rebecca or Alex Reids mentally strong Beth each character is given a strong seperate identity (no cardboard caricatures here) but its the two main setpiece players that prove the most fasinating. The fragile mental state of Shauna Mcdonalds Sara (caused by a brutal accident within the first 5 minutes of the movie) is an essential element in projecting the confusion and fear that they all face as things go from bad to worse in the cave, while Natalie Mendoza's alpha-female Juno is a gloriously rich creation on a par with the strongwilled "Riply" from Aliens, her desire to embrace danger and risk is a pivitol point in the movies structure.

It should be said that if you are looking for a quick horror/gore fix you will be left disappointed as bar the already mentioned shock in the opening 5 minutes the first half of the movie is all atmospherics and cold menace, the haunting score reminiscent of "The Thing", the tight claustrophobic effect created by the dim lighting and narrow cave passages the odd glimpses of something less then pleasant be it bloodmarks on the walls or old abandoned caving equipment. All this serves its purpose perfectly however, its designed to wear your nerves down chip away at them so that when the blood begins to fly your completely spent mentally and unable to put up resistance to the visual violence. The creatures the women encounter look like subterranian variants of Gollum, all pale skin drooling mouths glassy eyes there nothing something you really want in your head. And when the do eventually appear the women fall apart in a pleasingly realistic manner, its all blind panic and seperate as they all desperately seperate in a crazied effort at survival. As the struggles continue you see the changes in character, and the almost primal levels some of the characters fall to as they become close to the beasts they fight.

The final 3rd is frenetic with shocking plot developments, nice nods to "Carrie" and "Apocalypse Now" and a final showdown that lodges in the memory.

This is a movie that deserves a wide audience, its horror operating in a plateau well above what hollywood can offer and it reminds us all that true horror isn't dead its just moved house to Britain.

Descend into the darkness you won't regret it.

A+

Absolutely fantastic. One of the very best creature feature movies ever made. Scratch that, it's one of the best horror films ever made period. Incredibly tense and claustrophic. My only issues were that the lighting makes it occasioanlly hard to seperate which girl is which, and that the characters at times seemed to be a little bit too capable at taking out the beasties. But they're minor qualms for what's ultimately the most intense film I think I've ever seen. If the ending comes across as a cheat, it's a bold, unflinching one that will stick with you long after the credits roll. A

Can anyone whose seen the original film and the American "cut" confirm/shoot down the alternative ending?

Incredible start, the claustrophobic situation makes for a compelling psyhological horror. But then they thought "Hey, let's throw some monsters in" and the movie gets totally generic after that. Very sad, it could have been so much more had they sticked with the tension in the group that leads them to kill each other. D+

So 7/10 = D+?

PS: You have no understanding of horror

yeah.... BKB, it wont happend, so dont go on making a thread about it . And i really dont know, i havent seen the cave.

A-, one of the must suspenseful thrillers in a long while, not to mention super bloody in a satisfying way. I was still shaking half an hour after watching the film. Unfortunately the first third was pretty dull, but worth the boring sit through to get to the cave scenes.

I don't know about the international version, but the American version ending was the following:

[spoil]Sarah cuts Juno's legs and leaves her to die. Sarah gets into her car, drives for awhile, and stops at a spot and cries. A truck rushes past her parked car, startling Sarah. She looks to her right and all of a sudden Juno (or maybe it was another character?) pops up next to her and then the movie suddenly ends with a shot of her frightened face.[/spoil]

Was that the same ending?

Nope, the international version ended similarly, except Sarah's escape was nought but a dream. A fantasy. In reality, she's still in the cave rocking in the foetal position as the monster folk edge ever closer.

I had a feeling that would be the difference. In the international version, her escape is just a dream, and she's actually still stuck in the cave. It's much better.

I probably wont bother seeing this in theaters now. I'd feel pretty comfortable giving the American version an A-, and the international version an A+.