The Descent A-

On DVD, Rated R, 100 minutes
British film The Descent came out back in 2006 to some pretty strong reviews. I’m not a huge fan of horror, so I thought about going to it for the 1.5 weeks it was playing in my town and then forgot about it until both a good friend and my brother started hounding me to check it out. I wish I had a do-over. This claustrophobic, terror of a movie must have played phenomenal on the big screen. Alas, I’ll have to make due with a hi-def widescreen and surround sound.it

Hears the deal: A group of 7 girlfriends (college buddies? It’s hard to say. They all seem to be from different countries and the ages are a bit diverse) get together every year for some daredevil, extreme sports fun. Brit Sarah is recovering from the loss of her husband and daughter to an automobile accident when the crew meets up in the Smokey Mountains to do a little spelunking. American Juno has put the trip together and decides without consulting the crew that they should explore an unmapped cave instead of going to the tourist trap they’d all agreed on. Did I mention Juno might have had a little something with Sarah’s husband as well? In the words of Kramer, “Catfight”. Anyway, after a cave-in makes retreat impossible, they are forced to search for a new exit, only to find there are other things living in the deep that aren’t as interested in their survival.

This film, written and directed by Brit filmmaker Neil Marshall, shares the DNA of 28 Days Later. Both are ostensibly horror films that are actually more interested in exploring other ground; and both are structured in two parts, with the first part being full of traditional scares and the second interested in facing the terror of the monster within us all. The Descent masterfully brings the claustrophobia and fear of being lost in a cave home. The seemingly endless crawlspaces (some partially underwater) are mirrored in the narrow flashlight beams so that even large caverns feel constricting. By the time the killers from the deep show up, you’re wound so tight anything could set you off. But the frights that stick with you come from watching this group slowly fracture as they’re eaten off, insuring their demise.

There’s two endings on this one, the original and the American theatrical release. Don’t wuss out and watch the sanitized ending for The Colonies. If you do, you’ll miss half the point and an ending you won’t forget. A-