It may not be on most (or any) pundits’ shortlists for an Oscar nod, but I’ll be darned if British horror flick The Descent doesn’t have some of the most uniformly positive (or at least not negative) reviews of any movie released in recent months. EW’s own Lisa Schwarzbaum gives the movie an A-, offering the following mad props: ”Made with a connoisseur’s love of muck, blood, inky darkness, and equal parts elegance and ewwww, The Descent raises the level of the post–Blair Witch, post–Open Water horror game." And, much like the six women whose spelunking trip goes oh-so-scary-wrong in the film, Schwarzbaum is not alone. Read on for more of the critical lovefest sparked by the film, and let us know what you think if you check it out this weekend.
Chris Kaltenbach, Baltimore Sun: "The Descent is the most exhilaratingly horrifying movie to come out in years, a squirm-inducing exercise in terror that relentlessly preys on one of the most basic human fears, the fear of being trapped."
Christopher Borrelli, Toledo Blade: "If you miss The Descent because the trailers and TV commercials make it look like just another routine shocker with a CGI Xbox-ready monster — and the marketing does; so much so, even a theater manager told me, ‘I didn’t want to see it when it was called The Cave‘ — you are missing nothing less than one of the finest-crafted horror movies in years, a virtual lesson in how to make a scary picture with no money, a couple of clever sets, a generous bucket of fake entrails, a handful of monster suits, innate talent, and a little showmanship."
Sean P. Means, The Salt Lake Tribune: "The Descent is a white-knuckle horror-thriller from Britain that does for spelunking what Jaws did for ocean swimming and Alien did for space."
David Germain, Associated Press: "The movie’s thrill-and-chill sequences are nasty and suspenseful, though once the creatures start to attack, the scenes get repetitive. Writer-director Neil Marshall offers a cast you can care about and believe in, compared to the mannequinlike teens generally lining up for slaughter in horror movies."
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: "Being trapped is a terrible situation for them and great news for us, because right around the time that Holly (Nora-Jane Noone ), the ‘mentalist who jumps off buildings,’ plummets down a hole and breaks her leg, the movie starts to treat us to the unspeakable wickedness that surrounds them."
Judy Chia Hui Hsu, Seattle Times: "Tight shots of women desperately wriggling through worm holes or teetering on a ledge overlooking an abyss create a claustrophobic effect, one that leaves the characters gasping for air and the audience breathing shallower. Monochromatic scenes — highlighting the red blood clinging on a woman’s body or the green glow of a light stick — heighten the eerie atmosphere."
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star: "Even if the movie’s improbabilities, anemic characters and undercooked contrivances show themselves too nakedly in the light of day, you still have to credit the movie with two things: it gets under your skin in the way very few scary movies bother to these days, and it’s not about torture. While the movie’s poster screams that it came from the same pit, which spit forth Saw and Hostel, The Descent has much more on its mind than rusty chains and power tools."
Sean Axmaker, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "With The Descent, a nerve-racking, claustrophobic survival thriller about six spelunking women hunted by the creepiest cave dwellers to skitter across a screen in ages, [director Neil] Marshall hones his skills to thrilling perfection."
Bill Muller, Arizona Republic: "It would be easy to go off on The Descent for being too formulaic, gore-filled and derivative. But man, it’ll scare the bejabbers out of you." [EDITOR'S NOTE: Bejabbers. Hee!]
Mark Burger, Winston-Salem Journal: "[The Descent] delivers what it promises, and in a season filled with studio hyperbole, that’s a quality to be admired. What it promises, however, are violent and visceral thrills, so the squeamish are hereby forewarned. This is not a summer treat for children; it’s a summer treat for horror fans."
After watching the “Hills Have Eyes” remake last night, it’s hit me that the era of ultra gorey, dark and scary movies is back! Except now, the directors are killing off the sympathetic characters too. A great twist IMHO. I expect that this movie follows along that old school path of the great, late 70′s horror flicks, the last ones to actually scare us.
On that tip, can Cameron come back and make one more Alien film. Please? The last one he did was great, but once that series lost him, it was less fear and more action.
I agree with Ep Sato……..Aliens was one of all time fav’s not so much of the special effects but because of the character of Riply, you totally believed and rooted for this character all the way. The Descent sounds great, everything else practically dissapointed this summer, and reading these reviews totally looking forward to this.
Every so often, I’ll see the trailer for a movie (usually a horror-thriller because their trailers are always more exciting) and I will become obsessed with wanting to see it. This happened for The Blair Witch Project, Open Water, and the Hills Have Eyes. It is now happening again with The Descent and all these positive reviews are just feuling the obsession. I cannot wait ’till the moment I see this film.
If only I weren’t to fragile to see gory movies – these reviews make it sound great. But along with the likes of Saw and Hostel, The Descent’s trailer alone makes me dry heave. Ho hum….
This movie was flying completely under the radar for me, I knew about it but was not planning to see it, but the fantastic reviews have made it the must see movie this weekend. I’m there.
The Scary stuff is OK in a horror film. How high is the T&A factor? One has to consider everything before they plop down $5.00 to see a movie.
Mesa Scared! Dem cave monsters worse den Naboo deep core monsters!
I saw it on DVD awhile ago. It’s one of the best horror movies I’ve seen in years, better than the Saw movies or Hostel, for me at least. But the ending I saw is different then the one in the American release and in my opinion is better. And the T&A is pretty much non-existent because the only lighting in the movie is from the girls’ helmets and flares.
I’m goin to go see this, read about the extra few minutes of footage in last week’s EW, but my friend has the dvd, so I’ll pay to go see it, then watch what was literally CUT out on his dvd…….
Also, I dunno where you live T&A, but where the heck you goin to see a new release for $5.00?? I can’t even see a matinee for that cost!!!
Loved this movie! Smart, resourceful women. Vicious, cannibalistic mpnsters! And claustrophobia! What a combo.
I can say enough about Neil Marshall, the director. With this movie and “Dog Soldiers”, he has established himself as the new millenium’s version of John Carpenter in his prime.
I’m going to go see it with some friends tomorrow morning so I can see the different ending. AMC has a deal if you see a movie before noon the ticket’s only $4.
Caption for this photo quote Piper Laurie in “Carrie”: “They’re all gonna laugh at you! They’re all gonna laugh at you!”
I am a horror freak. I forgive many horror films their significant flaws (a courtesy I do not extend to other genres, especially the romantic comedy). Still, I have been very disappointed lately in horror. Saw wanted to be Seven but couldn’t come close, Saw II was just downright bad, Hostel made interesting points and was engaging but didn’t frighten me in the least, and the Hills Have Eyes made me want to poke out my own due to the extreme stupidity of all the characters (mutants included). I am SO excited for The Descent, and can’t wait to be chilled and (dare I hope?) even scared.
Went and saw the Descent, and it was totally intense from beginning to end. Very dark (literally & figuratively) and disturbing…Was glad there was thankfully not alot of children present as I went to a Saturday afternoon matinee. It DEF. NOT a movie for children.
Again, what city do u live in that AMC even has Sat. morning shows before Noon, let alone for a measley $4? I see an 11Am show listed EVERY now and then, and I live in Philly…haha
I wish my boyfriend would see this with me. Grrrrrr. I’ll just have to keep trying to talk him into it.