| Film Review | Dana Place |
The
Descent
Shauna McDonald
Natalie Jackson Mendoza
Alex Reid
Saskia Mulder
Myanna Buring
Nora-Jane Noone
Directed by: Neil Marshall
Plot: A group of adventurous friends head out on a
spelunking expedition only to encounter a group of
underground mutants intent on killing them.
Review: The Descent takes its time introducing you to
its characters before throwing you into a dark hole in the
ground and cutting off the air. Claustrophobia sets in and
it gets harder and harder to breathe, until your throat cuts
off. The opening act of this film is reminiscent of another
film that completely gave me the willies, Deliverance. A
group of friends looking for adventure in the open air in
the middle of the country. The film moves below ground and
this is where the fun begins and where the comparisons to
the horror classic, Alien, and in my opinion rightfully so,
begins. Once underground, director Neil Marshall takes
advantage of the dark, tight spaces to create a
claustrophobic feel for both its characters and the audience
while at the same time convincing us that there is no
escape. The film is shot in the shadows and right in the
faces of the characters. You can’t help but feel the tension
at not being able to see around the next corner, behind the
next rock. But this film is more than just a creepy monster
flick.
First comes the dread of being trapped beneath a mile of
rock. Then the sounds, the beauty of the film as with its
classic predecessor, is that you know bad things are there
before you actually see them and once you see them you wish
you hadn’t. The film doesn’t attempt to explain things that
don’t need explanations. Things are the way they are and
sometimes just going with the flow makes for a better
experience. Then there is the gore. This film doesn’t skimp
on the violence and blood. This film will beg comparisons to
the Ridley Scott classic and while it may not exactly hold
up in most people’s eyes, I am sure that most would agree
that this film is definitely a very creepy and even scary
form of flattery.
