Horror Review: The Descent

*spoiler free review

What’s scarier than monsters? Monsters in a confined tight space. The Descent by Neil Marshall is probably one of the scariest movies I have ever seen.

A group of women go spelunking in an underground cave only to become trapped inside. While scary enough, they then realize they are not alone in these caves.

It is absolutely terrifying the way you can feel so claustrophobic when you’re only the audience member. Despite being on a set, Marshall was able to make this movie feel like the characters were really in an underground slimy cave. The set they built was made to be modular so they could have an endless amount of different setups. This is why characters will look like they’re in a different part of the cave, when in reality, it was just the same set that had been moved around.

Through the use of camera angles and the beautiful set design, I was able to feel so immersed in the world that’s been created.

Practical lighting was primarily used, which is always something that I am endlessly fascinated by. Most of the lighting comes from the flashlights and the objects the characters brought with them into the caves.

Fun Fact: The characters use a green light stick that was purchased from a sex shop. I really love this fact because, as a low budget student filmmaker, buying stuff from a sex shop for a production is something I have done.

The characters, also, were all unique and well developed. This all female friend group really felt like friends, whether it’s in the way they talked to each other or how they cooperated with one another. While the characters still had their issues, they were still the most feminist representation of women in horror and I couldn’t be prouder. Especially since it was also written by Marshall, it’s always such a delight when a man can write women accurately.

While there is debate about its women-loving-women representation, I personally believe that a few characters were purposefully written this way. I do wish it was more obvious, but unfortunately, I do not think a movie made in 2009 would’ve been as well received by mainstream audiences if it had been more obvious.

The monster design was so brilliant. They created something that would plausibly evolve in this type of environment. The monsters are blind and must rely on their sense of smell due to the darkness of the caves. Plus, they were ferocious creatures that could rip a person to shreds with ease. I also love that the design was based on Nosferatu, another horror movie creature that paved the way for many others like it. Truly nightmare inducing.

One other thing I love about this movie is the buildup in tension. It starts off pretty slow, then it gets a little bit worse, and then you begin to think there’s nothing worse that could possibly happen. Then, finally, everything hits the fan and it becomes pure chaos.

The Descent is one of my favorite movies for a reason. This film scares me every single time I watch it. I almost wish I could forget what happens just so I can be pleasantly surprised all over again.

As a side note, I recommend watching the U.K. version over the version released in America. The endings are vastly different and the U.K. version is infinitely better. However, if you have the time to spare, watch both versions to see which you like more.

Overall, one of the best horror films ever made. It deserves every bit of praise that it receives. 5/5 stars all the way.