The Descent | Review

Brit horror export merges B-horror movie curriculum with edge of your seat drive.

Rule #1: When navigating in nature always use a map. Rule #2: No matter what – always stick to the group. Rule #3: Shopping malls are the number one destination for young women. Known for his calling card 2002 feature Dog Soldiers, Neil Marshall’s newest merrily breaks the trio of mentioned commandments above and should be the reason why regular moviegoers by years end will remember more of the gore in The Descent than the Gore of An Inconvenient Truth.

Crafting a process of elimination tale that brings out the fear of the unknown from 80s adventure films and the campyness of B-movie horror flicks with an attractive 6-girl buffet and a grassroots handheld oddly-angled shooting approach, what sets this apart from most films in the genre is that the sense of momentum is maintained throughout. Not only does Marshall succeed in this department but he gets the highest grade for both the atmospheric detail and the hard to guess storyline. With an opening helicopter point of view shot that reminds of The Shining, its not difficult to figure out that some folks will get hurt, but what might be hard to predict is whether this is the survival of the fittest or luck of the draw.

Companies like Heinz and Ocean Spray might have witnessed a jump in sales during the week of filming – art direction makes full use of condiments such as cranberry and ketchup, while the lighting department does a splendid job at closing up the corners of the frame in preparation for all upcoming shrills. Marshalls film might fall into the absurd, but it is the lead up to the final crazed moments that makes this worth the detour. Merging dialogue that focalizes on the tension between the girls brought about by bad judgment calls and adding the claustrophobic friendly enclosed spaces taps beautifully into the many fears that average people already have several levels above ground.

What is equally appreciated is that the script fails to bother explaining the origin – which was perhaps the biggest problem in a film like Christopher Smith’s Creep – not knowing is a hell of a lot scarier than knowing too much. A must for horror aficionados or for anyone who wants the crap scared out of them – The Descent makes trying to figure out who will parish part of the fun – but apparently the original U.K version has a more bleaker, yet better version in store. Packed with effective jump out of your seat moments, this prays upon fears that affect many of us non rock climber/cave dwellers and this should do what Jaws did for the open waters: create fear that is location specific. Cave tour operators should find a second vocation.

Sundance 2006

Rating 3 stars