REVIEW - The Descent

Written & Directed by Neil Marshall
Unrated - 99 Minutes
Released Aug 8, 2005

I'm not convinced that the unrated cut is always the better one. In the case of The Descent, the unrated version was how the film showed originally in the UK more than a year before a slightly trimmed version hit theaters here in the US, I'll take the unrated version any day of the week.

I'm also concerned about contemporary horror, and had my doubts as to whether The Descent could actually deliver something new and interesting. I don't know how long I can put this off so I'll just say it right here: I LOVED THIS MOVIE.

It wastes no time showing us how brutal this film will be, pulling absolutely no punches. It dives in headfirst, telling us only what we need to know to stay riveted to the screen. It presents us with kick-ass women characters that are interesting enough that we don't have to see their breasts to care about them. I especially liked Sarah (played by Shauna MacDonald), her tough but haunted journey, and the metaphors the thrill-seeking trip represent in relation to her own recent life experiences.

There aren't enough movies that leave you thinking, especially recent horror films which seem to spend far too much time spelling everything out. The Descent is unique in that there is plenty of room for interpretation thus plenty to think about, yet presented in a way that it won't confound a viewer who simply wants to see this as a popcorn movie.

The best part about this movie is that I finally get a horror flick that was scary. I jumped, I cringed, I fretted, I even felt the room I was watching the movie in got smaller as the film progressed. For that I rate The Descent a "Oh Hells Yes" on the Mr. Blunderson scale.