Rating of
3.5/4
Don't watch this one in the dark!!!
mdtinney - wrote on 03/20/10
Promoted as a film that pushes the envelope even further than HOSTEL; my expectations were pretty low. It turns out that Neil Marshall's science fiction/horror thriller THE DESCENT is one of the best films of the genre that I have ever seen. It is certainly the best sci-fi horror film to come along since ALIENS in 1986. This is a consistently frightening and well made film that doesn't just go for cheap scares but instead adds psychological aspects into the story and it comes out a real winner. The premise is simple. A group of female friends who love to have annual outdoor adventures, gather together to explore an excavated cave. It is a bittersweet reunion because one of the women, Sarah (Macdonald) has recently lost her husband and daughter in a tragic car accident. She is still hurting from the loss and suffers from severe panic attacks that require medication. Still, she is anxious to embark on this journey with her friends. What starts out as a simple cave exploration goes horribly awry when the women discover that the cavern is inhabited by ravenous, mutated bat-like creatures. It soon turns into survival of the fittest, with the team's alpha-female leader Juno (an excellent Mendoza) taking control. She hasn't told the other women that this cave has never been explored and that she hasn't mapped it out properly. Beyond this, she is also capable of worse- much worse as we come to see. Of course, the friends begin to be picked off, one by one until just Sarah and Juno remain. What happens in the end is shocking, haunting and cruelly terrifying. This is a genuinely scary movie with a great setting and excellent doses of suspense and action. Surreal, at times and ultimately haunting; THE DESCENT is a brilliant film that isn't half as gory as you'd believe it to be. The moments of shocking violence and bloodshed come unexpectedly and in ways that you could never for-see. The climax is a disturbing fight for survival and is fueled by anger, fear and shock. The ending, though very bleak, is done so well that it will haunt you long after the credits roll. An amazing, unexpected masterpiece that never gets the credit that it truly deserves. This is a modern day science fiction classic and it deserves to stand side by side with the best of its genre, including both ALIEN and ALIENS. Highly recommended. A well made, well acted, intelligent thrill ride.
