The Descent (2005) — NSFW post

 

99 min.

Director: Neil Marshall

Writer: Neil Marshall

Stars: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid

Straying away from the pattern thus far, here’s a post on a movie that meets more modern day horror movie standards (if you consider 2005 to be recent enough in terms of horror movies for that sort of thing, because I do).  The Descent involves a story line that’s presented in a similar fashion in many modern day horror films: some people go to some isolated place and bad shit happens there. This particular story starts with a group of girls going on a caving expedition.

While the whole concept of a group of people on a destination meeting horrors is overplayed these days, I like the spin and particular setting of this one. The girls get trapped in the cave, of course, and don’t have nearly as many supplies as they really need.

 

The characters are not incredibly deep, nor is the story really more intricate than I’ve stated, but the way it’s presented is pretty awesome. It actually made me afraid to go in caves for a short time after watching it. Above all else, the creatures in this movie just look rad. In my eyes, it was like Gollum meets Orcs (for those not educated in the realm of Tolkien, shame on you).

Plus, the main movie poster for the film is an homage to a work by Salvador Dali.

Salvador Dali

Overall, it’s just a thrilling, entertaining watch. What it lacks in depth, emotion, and truly mind-bending, soul-wrenching horror like that of many classics, it makes up for with what are admittedly some pretty great special effects and spins on an overdone trope.

Best Line &/or Scene: 

Story: 4/10
Gore Factor: 7/10
Scare Factor: 7/10
Overall: 7/10