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Descent, The

Writer/director Neil Marshal concocts a smart, thorough, character driven genre film that borrows a little from some of the best horror movies in the last 25 years, while still cooking up some genuine thrills and scares of its own. “The Descent,” pulls from its bag of tricks a genuine love of gore, slime and everything that makes people give a refund on their lunch.

Marshal, possibly best known for the werewolf actioner “Dog Soldiers,” reels in the machismo factor and centers his story on a group of thrill-seeking lasses, who quite frankly could give the military men of “Dog Soldiers” a run for their money. However, before the audiences’ eyelids are dared to remain open, Marshal puts us through an intelligent, if not overly long introduction of the women. Our main protagonist, Sarah, (Shauna Macdonald) is received in America one year after a traumatic and gruesome accident, which will be saved for those of you who have yet to see the film. Although still in mourning and distrustful of some of her companions, Sarah is compelled to engage in some spelunking in what she and the other’s believe to be a tourist trap series of caves. From then on the film becomes an unrelenting series of tense moments and wicked terror.

“The Descent” surpasses so many other films in the same genre by utilizing space – or the complete lack thereof, disorientation and sound to make every scene truly terrifying. The cave, the ladies are wandering around in, is as much a menace to them as the “Crawlers” lurking inside. Instead of using the concept of a “monster” to initialize the suspense, Marshal uses his surroundings as the initial onset of terror then ushers in his creations to ratchet up the suspense. From then on, it’s a free-for-all, which is where Marshall’s screenplay and direction really shines. The characters all have a series of levels on which they operate and when they are put in a situation where their lives are at stake, each one responds differently. Uncharacteristically, many of the ladies in “The Descent” become stronger as they are faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. These women don’t cower or shriek in terror. No, the aforementioned Sarah and her “friend,” Juno (Natalie Mendoza) battle like their lives are on the line. This is the key to the success of the film. As a horror film, it conforms to several, if not all, of the clichés of the genre. However, as a Neil Marshall film, it bends some restrictions the said genre places on the characters confined within.

Marshall, like Eli Roth, is a breath of fresh air in the realm of gory horror. He fully imagines, then realizes the worlds he creates. It is that kind of dedication and stick to it-ness that ensnares his audience and keeps them both entertained and terrified.

Written by: Kevin Yeoman

Reviewers Rating: 8.5
Reader's Rating: 9.00
Reader's Votes: 2

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