Neil Marshall's The Descent was first released back in 2005 and is a truly spine-tingling thrill ride. At first glance, it might seem like any typical monster horror film, but The Descent has many unique elements that elevate it far beyond this. Even before the terrifying Crawlers show up, the claustrophobic setting and dark lighting are enough to leave viewers on the edge of their seats.
Also, unlike the usual two dimensional characters that inhabit these kinds of movies, The Descent gives its characters' backstories and solid character development. All of these elements combined make the movie a unique viewing experience that will leave viewers terrified long after the credits have rolled.
The Character Backstories
Even before the movie takes the audience down into the caves, they have a pretty strong understanding of who the main characters are. It's quickly established in the movie that Sarah and Juno are best friends and there are strong hints that there are romantic feelings between Juno and Sarah's husband, Paul.
Even with all the set up, the opening isn't free of shocks. The moment when Paul crashes the car is truly shocking and the heartbreaking aftermath makes it clear just how fragile Sarah is. When the movie flashes to a year later, the viewers are already familiar with Sarah's grief and her awkward dynamic with Juno.
The All-Female Main Cast
Although many horror movies feature a final girl, not many feature an all female main cast. The Descent focuses on a group of six female friends which creates an interesting dynamic not often seen in this genre. The performances and the interactions between the main cast ensure that the audience feel for the characters before the carnage begins.
The movie's main character, Sarah Carter, is one of the top female protagonists in horror due to her tragic backstory and her captivating character development. Additionally, the chemistry and laughter between the friends at the cabin makes their eventual fates in the caves even more heartbreaking.
The Claustrophobic Setting
Fans of the horror genre have become used to settings like haunted houses and isolated cabins but The Descent's setting is truly unique. During the movie, the women explore an undiscovered cave system. The setting is dimly lit and claustrophobic, creating the perfect atmosphere for a horror movie.
In one particularly tense scene, the women are crawling through a tight space when part of the cave collapses and Sarah becomes trapped. Sarah lets her fear get the better of her in the scene and many viewers who suffer from claustrophobia will relate to her terror here; the film's main threat may be The Crawlers but the claustrophobic setting hones in on a very real fear.
The Practical Effects
Many modern horror films rely heavily on CGI to bring their scares to life but The Descent uses a strong range of practical effects. In fact, The Descent has some of the best practical effects in horror including its setting.
For the most part, the caves were created in a studio using practical effects which is fairly impressive as they're on screen for most of the movie. Also, The Crawlers were portrayed by actors and created through the use of makeup and prosthetics. The use of practical effects allows the movie to feel more realistic and even more harrowing.
The Crawlers
There are an abundance of monster horror movies but The Crawlers manage to stand out; they are both grotesque and terrifying. The Crawlers are humanoid but are far from human and while their origins are unknown, it soon becomes clear that the women have disturbed their habitat.
The women are lost and afraid while The Crawlers are in their own hunting ground which means the monsters have the upper hand. The creatures may be blind but they have enhanced hearing and smell, making them a terrifying adversary. Rebecca's gruesome and bloody death at the hands (and teeth) of The Crawlers is especially shocking.
The Monsters Are Secondary To The Character's Stories
The Crawlers are the main threat of the movie but arguably, they're not the main focus. Many horror movies rely on their scares and forget to properly develop their characters but The Descent's characters are both engaging and complex. Sarah's mental state slowly deteriorates throughout the film and she begins to hallucinate her deceased daughter.
Juno is also a morally gray character as she clearly cares for Sarah despite her affair with Paul, and yet she also later leaves Beth to die. Sarah's state of mind then only worsens when she discovers Juno's betrayals. From this point on, the audience is left on the edge of their seats waiting for Sarah and Juno to reunite again, and when they do it's even more tense than imaginable.
The Scares
With the combination of The Crawlers, the claustrophobia and Sarah's psychological state, The Descent isn't short on scares. In modern horror, jump scares have become a slightly overused trope and most of the time aren't all that scary. That being said, The Descent features one of the best jump scares in horror movie history.
After the women get lost, they all argue over what to do next while using the night vision on their camera to see. The camera pans round to show the audience a glimpse of a Crawler lurking behind them, providing an effective and jump-out-of-seat introduction to the creatures. Other tense scares from the movie include the shock car crash at the beginning and the nail-biting scene where Sam and Rebecca try to stay quiet as they are pursued by a Crawler.
The Unexpected Plot Developments
The movie may have a relatively simple premise, but it does feature many unexpected plot developments. Right from the off, the car crash which kills Sarah's husband and daughter prepares the audience for the unexpected.
Another shocking moment transpires when The Crawlers attack and Juno fights back using her pickaxe. Juno accidently stabs Beth with the pickaxe, but instead of helping her, she leaves her friend to die. When Sarah later discovers the truth, she's hellbent on revenge, regardless of The Crawlers. A showdown was to be expected when the two women came face to face again but viewers couldn't have predicted what was to come. In her rage, Sarah stabs Juno in the leg with a pickaxe and leaves her to the mercy of The Crawlers creating one of the most memorable and unexpected moments from the movie.
The Various Interpretations
Although many of the characters are complex, the actual story of the movie seems fairly simple on first watch. That being said, there are several interpretations that could be taken from the movie. On the surface, the movie is about a group of friends who get lost in an undiscovered cave system and then get attacked by vicious creatures, in the process turning on each other. However, there are some hints that suggest Sarah may actually be the villain of The Descent.
Sarah is the first of the women to see one of the creatures; although, she doesn't get a proper look at them at this point. She also spends a large chunk of the movie on her own and especially after euthanizing Beth, her psyche seems to break down completely. Considering her hallucinations and her stabbing of Juno, it is possible that The Crawlers are a figment of Sarah's imagination and she is truly responsible for her other friends' deaths. The various interpretations that can be taken from The Descent are what makes it so effective.
The Ending
The Descent has a UK ending and a US ending but both provide the movie with a bleak close. In the US ending, Sarah manages to escape the cave but is then confronted by a bloodied hallucination of Juno. While Sarah has escaped the horror of the cave, this ending suggests she will remain traumatized by what transpired down there.
The UK ending adds to the US ending with Sarah waking up back in the cave, showing that she had imagined her escape. Sarah smiles as she hallucinates her daughter but the sound of The Crawlers closing in can be heard around her. Both endings leave Sarah in a traumatized state, one where she is free but tormented by her trauma and the other where she remains trapped but has dissociated in able to deal with it.