After losing her husband and young daughter in a horrific and grisly automobile accident, a young woman named Sarah attempts to climb out of the pit of despair she has been languishing in for over a year by joining a group of her close female friends on one of their annual adventure-seeking expeditions. Sarah’s friend Juno, the unofficial leader of the sexy sextet, has arranged for the group to go spelunking in a remote cave hidden deep in the Appalachians.
Staying the night in some rented cabins, the group of women set off the following day for their distant destination — which Juno assures them will be both exhilarating and challenging. Unbeknownst to the others, Juno, in an attempt to up the adventure quotient, is leading them into an unmapped and unnamed cave system. Initially, this seems of no major consequence for a group whose motto is, “If there’s no risk, what’s the point?” However, the danger-laden cave will indeed test the mettle of these risk-takers, and moreover, something with a taste for human flesh, alive and lurking in the cave’s dank darkness, might very well claim their lives.
Having already been released throughout Europe to great acclaim, The Descent is a horror film that fully deserves its lauded status, and unquestionably establishes writer/director Neil Marshall as one of horror cinema’s best and most promising new directors. At the screening I attended, the audience collectively, and repeatedly, jumped and gasped throughout the film — especially throughout The Descent’s unnerving last half. Without a doubt, The Descent is an uncompromisingly tense, heart-bursting exercise in horror filmmaking that should also make a big splash on this side of the pond.
In addition to the film’s visceral visual assault, the script (written by Marshall over a two-year period and numbering over ten drafts) is a compact but wholly satisfying horror yarn with some decently written characters that pull you into the story and their terrifying plight. At times six characters seems perhaps two too many, yet, overall the script fleshes the main characters out pretty well, giving them story arcs which eventually pay off. It’s also worth mentioning that the story takes its time setting itself up; in fact, the “horror" dimension of The Descent doesn’t bare its blood-soaked fangs until nearly forty minutes into the film. Nevertheless, The Descent is rarely boring or tedious and makes good use of its “slow” build, escalating tension as it creeps its way towards the memorably fright-filled, gore-strewn second half.
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Article comments
1 - Iloz Zoc
I don't know: I always look for the silver lining, even in a horror film. I prefer the US ending. Those cave sets, though. Man, what a beautiful bit of art direction and production skill. I hope they include extras on the DVD that go indepth on the making of the cave. I'm claustrophobic. Even knowing the cave was fake, I still had to stop for a bit after Sarah gets stuck in the tunnel. Now that's horror.
2 - Joel
What's the difference between the US and Euro endings?
3 - Ty
HOW THE HELL DOES ANYONE PREFER THE US ENDING?
The original movie made by Neil Marshall has more to it and is a proper ending.
In the US version, the daydream sequences with Sara's daughter and her birthday cake make NO sense without the original ending.
In fact, the whole OBVIOUS theme of Descent (into madness) is thwarted by the ending.
It's so f**king obvious Lionsgate DUMBED DOWN the ending and made it a happy one because they feared US audiences would hate the original.
SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT
In the original ending, Sara wakes up in the cave after seeing Juno in the car. It was just a daydream, she's still stuck there. She sees her daughter and birthday cake, but is just looking at the torch. She has gone totally nut-so and the movie ends.
END SPOILER ALERT
To say you PREFER the US ending is absolutely f**king ridiculous. I'm sorry, it's the truth. But as a correction, it's the US ending is not a tacked on final shot. Rather, it is euro ending cut way way way short so that we leave the theater thinking Sara actually got out, WHEN SHE DID NOT AS NEIL MARSHALL INTENDED IT TO BE.
4 - Ty
Here is a link to the original ending you can watch online. Please wait until AFTER seeing the shi**y US ending to see this.
youtube.com video
5 - GoBigEd
I've heard 3 endings for this picture:
UK ending (as in the link--going mad)
US ending (the one I saw--seeing Beth in the car, then black)
Second US ending (Sarah driving off into the distance)
Anyone else hear about 3 endings?
6 - blotto otto
Both endings are okay. There is nothing wrong with US. ENDING THAT ENDS WITH SARRA LIVING. THERE IS NOTHING HAPPY ABOUT THIS ENDING AS SHE NOW HAS NOTHING LEFT..HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE GONE. THIS ALSO MAY LEAVE ROOM FOR A SEQUEL WHICH IS GOOD BUSINESS FOR THE DIRECTOR.
7 - DJBoogie
I saw the Uncut version that was released in the US
the UK ending is therefore left untouched, and is BY FAR the best ending!
happy endings are too damn obvious, especially when the person you EXPECT to escape actually does. (aka 70s and 80s horrors)
Leave the ending untouched I say, MUCH better
the US ending is terrible!
8 - Brandon
I loved the original ending. A sequel would ruin the story
9 - Stan
The original with the bleak ending was a marvellous touch. British film makers do horror so well because they don't pander to the audiences satisfaction, instead keep stories and character's integrity...or as americans would say 'keeping it real' (lame joke, i know)...
I just watched the sequel and must say it is the same roller coaster that makes you jump and egg the characters to get away fast! Rarely do horror films scare me, but both the 'Descents' did just that and then some. Highly recommend the sequel as it holds it's own even to the first! Cult film 5 Stars!