The Descent (2005)

Neil Marshall comes through for English horror again with the best genre film of 2005! A group of friends enter an uncharted cave, but after a collapse, they are forced to struggle through the serpentine passageways to find daylight. Too bad they arent alone.. The craftsmanship implored in the careful writing and making of this film is unmatched in recent horror, and Marshall is able to make the first half of the film (completely devoid of monsters) even more terrifying than the climax. Gut-wrenching scenes of claustrophobic cave crawling, the unseen in the dark, and protruding bones are just a few of the universal fears that are tapped into, creating an immediate emotional bond between the characters and the audience. The women may not be given complete backstories, but what works is that they are portrayed as real people. In what situation in real life are we given flashbacks or do we commonly reveal our personal histories in our daily dialogue? Rather, Marshall has written distinct cadences and personalities that distinguish a group of individuals rather than a group of talking heads.

Then, there are the monsters. By the time the cave dwellers enter the film, it is already established as a terrifying and successful feature, but the viscious Gollum-like monsters in the film heighten the tension and fear to a whole nother level. Though I typically despise surprise scares, Marshall has perfectly timed reveals for the creatures to scare the piss out of the audience. Though humanoid, they have regressed into bat like creatures hunting by sound, which makes for creepy visuals and allows the characters a plausible advantage in attempting to fight them off and escape. As the title implies, the film is not just a descent into the cave, as a surface level reading might suggest, but also a descent into madness for several of the characters, pushed to the brink of sanity at the thought of being trapped and having to fight for their lives against the impending foes. Our lead heroine, Sarah, takes control and makes a fighting effort, leading to tons of monster bloodshed which are handled with fantastic FX and gore.

I can sing the praises of The Descent all day, Marshall has succeeded on so many levels and proven himself as a modern master of horror. Must-see, must-own for any rightful horror fan!

Rating: 10/10.