The Descent
November 21st 2006 23:25
WARNING CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Anyone who has a pronounced fear of the dark will find this film a little hard to bear. And if you suffer from claustrophobia, well, then it will be just that bit worse. Throw in some nasty cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers and you’ve got yourself one of the scariest horror movies since The Blair Witch Project (1999).
Nearly two years after The Descent first premiered at a Brussels fantasy film festival Australia finally gets a theatrical release. Many horror fans won’t have been able to wait that long and would’ve purchased the DVD. If you’ve been patient enough the big screen experience is always worth waiting for.
Writer/director Neil Marshall, who made the very enjoyable werewolf flick Dog Soldiers a few years ago, goes for a slightly different tack here. After terrorising a bunch of grown men with 8-foott-tall lycanthropes, it’s the girls’ turn. A group of young adventurers who go on a caving expedition only to have their worst nightmares engulf them.
To add further friction and fear, once the girls have made the initial descent, they come to a frightening realisation that they can only go forward, there is no retreat. The audience is privy to some God-awful menace lurking in the rocky shadows. And then tension starts to unravel the bond between the girls.
The fighting that erupts between the expedition leaders which in turn disrupts any sense of trust within the group only aggravates the basic problem at hand. They are being watched by something which is certainly not going to be friendly. Nothing that lives underground in complete darkness is warm and cuddly.
Marshall has achieved a rare feat of providing strong characters in a dire, but plausible situation, kept the audience on the edge of their seat by having an unknown evil squatting just out of sight, and then launched this phantasmogorical menace into the darkened picture with brilliant effect.
I haven’t jumped like I jumped in The Descent for a long time. This is one serious “Boo!” machine.
It’s also got some horrendous bloodletting too, so squeamish beware. And, just to cap things off nicely for the horrorphiles down under, Australasians get the original UK ending, not the “safe” American ending. I may have spilt a spoiler, but I’m not giving away the end.
A strong cast lead by Aussie TV and stage actor Natalie Mendoza, and mostly unknowns, apart from Nora-Jane Noone (The Magdalene Sisters), an exceptionally realistic bunch of cave sets, and some thoroughly nightmarish crawlers, push The Descent into being just that more convincing, even if it is all a little far-fetched.
My only gripe was the bullshit bravado that steals into the movie during the last third. Without saying too much, betrayal rears its ugly head, and certain characters battle it out with each other, leaving the real enemy blinking its blind albino eyes.
Still, there’s enough intensity and truly palpable fear in The Descent for several horror movies. It’s a real dark treat, prepare yourself for some serious subterranean shivers!
* the images on this page were taken from the following wikipedia page:
The Descent
They are licensed from the GNU Free Document License
Nearly two years after The Descent first premiered at a Brussels fantasy film festival Australia finally gets a theatrical release. Many horror fans won’t have been able to wait that long and would’ve purchased the DVD. If you’ve been patient enough the big screen experience is always worth waiting for.
Writer/director Neil Marshall, who made the very enjoyable werewolf flick Dog Soldiers a few years ago, goes for a slightly different tack here. After terrorising a bunch of grown men with 8-foott-tall lycanthropes, it’s the girls’ turn. A group of young adventurers who go on a caving expedition only to have their worst nightmares engulf them.
To add further friction and fear, once the girls have made the initial descent, they come to a frightening realisation that they can only go forward, there is no retreat. The audience is privy to some God-awful menace lurking in the rocky shadows. And then tension starts to unravel the bond between the girls.
Marshall has achieved a rare feat of providing strong characters in a dire, but plausible situation, kept the audience on the edge of their seat by having an unknown evil squatting just out of sight, and then launched this phantasmogorical menace into the darkened picture with brilliant effect.
I haven’t jumped like I jumped in The Descent for a long time. This is one serious “Boo!” machine.
A strong cast lead by Aussie TV and stage actor Natalie Mendoza, and mostly unknowns, apart from Nora-Jane Noone (The Magdalene Sisters), an exceptionally realistic bunch of cave sets, and some thoroughly nightmarish crawlers, push The Descent into being just that more convincing, even if it is all a little far-fetched.
My only gripe was the bullshit bravado that steals into the movie during the last third. Without saying too much, betrayal rears its ugly head, and certain characters battle it out with each other, leaving the real enemy blinking its blind albino eyes.
Still, there’s enough intensity and truly palpable fear in The Descent for several horror movies. It’s a real dark treat, prepare yourself for some serious subterranean shivers!
* the images on this page were taken from the following wikipedia page:
The Descent
They are licensed from the GNU Free Document License
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Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
Comment by Daressi
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
It's been out on DVD overseas for awhile now, but not available as yet in Australia (as far as I know). YOu should see it on the big screen.
Daressi
"not delighted with it". That's a pretty funny line to use. Can't say I've ever thought of horror movies as potentially "delightful" ... lol
If you found you were bored to death .. best ou stick to watching Ealing comedies ...
Comment by Daressi
If you like better- this movie sucks
Comment by Filmpeeker
filmpeek
Haven't seen it myself, but I know that some friends of mine did (girls), and they became pretty darn horrified...
Cya.
//filmpeeker
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Because it starts on teh big screen tomorow I am also posting a review for this cracker on my blog, do you mind?
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
dude, you're in [B]The Blood Group[/B], it's all good.
cheers for the respec' though!
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Pray tell, in your opinion what horror movies don't suck ?
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
All the little dark brothers declaring themselves,
dark sister,
katyzzz
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
I'm so going to see this movie. Sounds great. I might even have to violate my golden rule of not watching horror movies when I have to go home to an empty house late at night.
KylieW
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I put a link to this review on my blog for the Descent.
You can read it here here, if you like
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Try this one
The Descent
Comment by Adrienne
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Seems this horror flick is definitely one for the ladies.
Go get 'em girls!
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Nice review too, blood brother ...
And great movie poster image!
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
Comment by suitably*wounded
Eternal Days; Author: Illness, M.
I'm sure I'll just have to watch it in small doses.... If only there was someone close by to help me keep the popcorn in the damn bucket.