The Descent (2005)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Neil Marshall

Writer:

Neil Marshall (writer)

Release Date:

4 August 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Scream your last breath.

Plot:

A caving expedition goes horribly wrong, as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators.

Plot Keywords:

Cave | Expedition | Friendship | Blood | Cave In

Awards:

7 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Shauna Macdonald	...	Sarah
Natalie Jackson Mendoza	...	Juno (as Natalie Mendoza)
Alex Reid	...	Beth
Saskia Mulder	...	Rebecca
MyAnna Buring	...	Sam
Nora-Jane Noone	...	Holly
Oliver Milburn	...	Paul
Molly Kayll	...	Jessica
Craig Conway	...	Crawler - Scar
Leslie Simpson	...	Crawler
Mark Cronfield	...	Crawler
Stephen Lamb	...	Crawler (as Steve Lamb)
Catherine Dyson	...	Crawler
Julie Ellis	...	Crawler
Sophie Trott	...	Crawler

Also Known As:

Crawlspace (UK) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence/gore and language.

Runtime:

99 min | 100 min (original unrated cut)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS (US prints) | Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

Norway:15 | Philippines:R-18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Germany:18 | Finland:K-18 | Singapore:R21 | Singapore:M18 (cut) | Taiwan:R-18 | Sweden:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Netherlands:16 (cut) | Iceland:16 | France:-16 | Argentina:16 | Germany:16 (cut version) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | USA:R (certificate #41746) | Brazil:16 | Australia:MA | New Zealand:R16 | Japan:R-18 | Italy:VM14 | South Korea:18 | Malaysia:18SG | Germany:18 (DVD rating) | Ireland:18 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Celador Films

Trivia:

No real caves appear anywhere in film, they were all sets built at Pinewood Studios, London created by Production Designer Simon Bowles.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Several times throughout the movie, as characters brush up against stalactites you can see the stalactites move. Stalactites are rigid formations and do not sway or bend with contact.

Quotes:

Beth: [Sarah is trapped in a tunnel and Beth is trying to calm her down with a joke] Hey, you love this one, "How do you give a lemon an orgasm?" You tickle its citrus!

Movie Connections:

References Psycho (1960)

The brilliance of Dog Soldiers and the intensity of Aliens to create The best horror film in years

Ten.... wow is that is a high rating. The film probably only deserves a nine but with all its genius i decided to give it ten. How often is a horror film one of the best pictures of the year? how often do horror films actually scare the sh-t out of you? how often do horror films grip you in total suspense? how often do horror films have great acting? how often are horror films well made? how often are horror films somehow realistic? HOW OFTEN ARE HORROR FILMS ACTUALLY HORRIFYING?

well in modern times... the answer to all of those questions is "very rarely" but The Descent does all of those and more. Somehow, it even horrified critics (in a good way).

Note: the acting is strong all around but i have to say alex reid was perfect for the role of beth. She was no better than the rest of the cast but she seemed to fit her role more.