User reviews

Focusing on the fear of claustrophobia with the simple dread of the unknown, The Descent puts likable characters in frightening situations. As a horror fanatic, this film floats at the top of my list of best scary films in recent years. The setup feels like it moves quickly and seamlessly into the main storyline, but that's because it's so beautifully shot, well-acted, and scripted so that we know and care enough about the characters to worry once they belay down into the dark cave. This character knowledge carries weight throughout the movie, as the group variously splinters and works together to escape. Shocks and jolts start before the central scare appears. And props to an all-woman cast that feels totally natural and not slapped together to achieve cheap feminist self-congratulations. Well-acted and atmospheric, I recommend this movie to anyone wanting to see a solid, scary horror movie that doesn't reinvent the genre, but definitely strays from the norm.

The Descent is a little Alien, some Predator, and quite an amount of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The story involves a group of cave explorers' journey through a deep cave, two miles underground. They don't necessarily make a great team-they seem unplanned, and we would go on to the third act, and figure out that they lack strategy as well. That is when some of the members become badass heroines, joining the bloodfest in the cave, where the unknown lies await.

Simplistic as it is, The Descent offers an excellent atmosphere and very creative moments. The opening shows a shocking event that becomes a minor plot device. The entire first half is a better adventure film than a horror one; the team's first enemy is the landscape. There are lots of "setup" shots showing items that will inevitably appear later. Writer/Director Neil Marshall has an impressive style, especially for some amazingly lighted claustrophobic scenes.

The thing is, these wonderful 50 minutes set my expectation high, that I found the latter half underwhelming. Fake jumpscares are a prominent element in the movie. There is so much of it that the real ones are less effective. The tone makes a 180-degree shift, changing to a lot of gory fights and killings. They should be thrilling experiences, but the problem is I simply can't see what's going on, because: 1. The scenes are extremely dark, which is realistic but unworkable for fight sequences. 2. The team all have the same gear, look, and voice. I have a hard time distinguishing them. 3. The editing makes a shift as well; the cuts are intensely quick, making my eye sore by looking at it for too long.

But The Descent is a sufficient horror movie, because it is so interestingly constructed, and Marshall has great talents. Watching the characters, the situation and the film itself descend into madness is of great fun.

An interesting and differentiated horror movie in the "gore" style. It is above average for the genre. It started slowly, but after half it became interesting, maintaining a tense atmosphere, a little frightening and claustrophobic. The atmosphere is good. It can be divided into two parts: before and after the cave. You sit on the armchair during the exhibition with that feeling of agony and distress. It escapes from the usual clichés to the genre, having an unconventional and surprising ending. There are some logic flaws in the plot and the characters, but nothing that compromises the story. The curiosity is to see the cast practically all feminine. It's worth as entertainment. I recommend it to all lovers of horror art.

The Descent is a film that plays with the theme of claustrophobia. Effective usage of lighting. I am pleasantly shocked by how well orchestrated this film is.

With Dog Soldiers, Neil Marshall created a tight and claustrophobic atmosphere then added the scares to create a very good horror film. However, the tension was often released with humour and the audience were allowed to catch their breath and relax. At no point in The Descent are you allowed to relax as Marshall grabs your attention within the first few minutes and doesn't let go until the credits roll at the end.

With the film set almost entirely underground, the lack of light is used to wonderful effect and Marshall keeps you on edge for 100 minutes; if you liked Dog Soldiers, 28 Days Later and/or Haute Tension and are sick of the formulaic rubbish being pumped out of Hollywood then The Descent is likely to be right up your street.

It's not exactly subtle and relies on a lot of the standard tricks of the horror genre, but this is one frightening, claustrophobic film. I love the nearly all-female cast, all of whom are pretty badass when push comes to shove. Make sure you watch the original UK release, as it has an extended ending which is as dark as those subterranean caverns.

I really enjoyed Neil Marshall's DOG SOLDIERS and knew right away that here was a genre director to keep an eye on . For some strange reason it wasn't until tonight that I got round to seeing THE DESCENT and felt disappointed with it . If you're after a film that delivers buckets of gore and has you jumping out of your seat then you will not be disappointed . If however you're after a film that has the same sort of charm as DOG SOLDIERS then you'll be as disappointed as I was

That's the problem with THE DESCENT because it lacks any sort of charm , humour or warmth and unfortunately if you liked one of Neil's films you'll probably dislike the other . The one problem I had with DOG SOLDIERS is that it took a long time to get into its stride and it's possibly the only thing it shares with this film , though to be honest it's worse in that respect because we have to wait almost a whole hour before the monsters turn up and until then we have to endure a girls get together in the remote American wilderness . Compare this narrative structure to something like 28 DAYS LATER which instantly draws the audience into the story , or even better 28 WEEKS LATER which has an absolutely awesome opening ten minutes

Right away you can see the difference between the two movies . In one we have good natured British squaddies complete with a blokey attitude while in the other we have a cosmopolitan bunch of unsympathetic women who I found very annoying , so much so that I found myself cheering for the monsters . Not a very charitable attitude I know but compare this with the characterization of Sgt Wells , Coop and Spoon from the earlier movie where you couldn't not like the characters . Likewise throughout THE DESCENT there's a totally grim , bleak and nihilistic atmosph ere that is reflected in thestoryline and you won't feel like smiling after watching this . You can make the argument that Neil Marshall has made two horror films that are poles apart and you'd be right , but shouldn't a horror film be fun ? Isn't this the reason why DOG SOLDIERS was so enjoyable ?

Despite my criticism THE DESCENT was met with critical and commercial success and put Neil Marshall on the map in America . Seeing as we have a horror director who can make very different genre films I can't help thinking that if the rumoured 28 MONTHS LATER makes it into production then Neil Marshall would be a strong contender for director . One common criticism of the first two films in the franchise is that the second halves have a problem sustaining the momentum which is not a problem I've seen with this director's previous work and a grim , downbeat ending would be more in keeping with the 28 franchise than with this type of horror movie

Simple & well executed. Great use of tapping into primal fears. Really aggressive colors, lighting, & angles that set a disorienting tone. Really wild plot but the character development muddles the pacing & overall suspense.

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. Simple & well executed. Great use of tapping into primal fears. Really aggressive colors, lighting, & angles that set a disorienting tone. Really wild plot but the character development muddles the pacing & overall suspense.

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. Simple & well executed. Great use of tapping into primal fears. Really aggressive colors, lighting, & angles that set a disorienting tone. Really wild plot but the character development muddles the pacing & overall suspense.

I loved it, I went in expecting something along the lines of "Dog soldiers", something funny and enjoyable but instead I got a roller coaster ride of tension and fear. So often these days horror movies just aren't scary, they make you jump they have a little bit of atmosphere and that's it, well this film was scary. It was tense, well acted, and the director made great use of the setting to scare the hell out of you. I don't want to go in to a lot of detail in this review, as I don't want to spoil the experience for anyone who reads it, and that is what this film is an experience I came out of the cinema shaking. This film is well worth your time.

The concept of crawling through tight, winding, unfamiliar tunnels is scary enough. But, of course, this movie moves far beyond that.

This movie has a great setup with a close group of long time friends having fun and reuniting for different outdoor adventures.

From the beginning the directing is great. You really get a sense of adventure and the anxiety/excitement that goes into exploring a cave. It portrays it well and brings home the endeavor that cave exploration is.

The story is engaging as it builds. They run into natural trouble that's bad enough. But then the dire situation becomes far worse.

This movie is genuinely suspenseful. The gore is well done. The characters are sympathetic. The emotion builds to a fever pitch.

There are some shocking elements to the ending.

It is a great movie and there is no way it should be rated anything less than an 8 out of 10.

It really is well done. With relatable characters you can actually care about. It's considered a classic by many for a reason. It's legitimately uncomfortable, suspenseful and scary. And well directed. It's just a great movie.

The Descent is a good addition to the horror genre and is directed by the same guy who directed Dog Soldiers.

The story is a group of woman go exploring dark caverns with one just recovering from a mental breakdown following the loss of her husband and daughter. But this still has some of the oldest horror clichés such as the cast (all women) delve deeper into the unknown caverns they are exploring instead of retreating (but this is just an excuse to get some victims for the movie), because of this it's great when they meet the creatures lurking in the darkness. The gore is great and the creatures fascinated me.

This wasn't scary but it's a good way to pass 90 mins and most horror fans will love it.

The descent is purely terrifying. It will provide you with an experience that relates entirely to those of the characters on screen. Each one is trapped, isolated and alone. In that theatre, you will understand the fear of having no escape. The film, like it's big brother 'Dog Soldiers', takes British horror to it's deserved glory. Unlike such films as 'Creep', which was a complete mess, The Descent is a chilling experience that places believable characters into a situation that is strangely real, despite the obvious fiction. After a quarter of the film has passed, you pray for the characters escape as, in a way, you will also be saved from the mental onslaught that drives into your mind throughout. I didn't expect anything from this film before I walked into the theatre it, yet it is the greatest horror I have ever seen, and am likely to for a very long time.