Whilst the bare bones of The Descent follows the same mould as Neil Marshall's previous film, Dog Soldiers (group of people thrown into a battle for survival in an unforgiving environment against an otherworldly enemy), the main difference between the two is tone. Dog Soldiers is pure comedy horror. The Descent plays is deadly straight.
Whilst some of the characters feel stock, meat for the cave-dwelling grinder, there is enough of a development in the dynamic of the group to make much of the nastiness emotionally gut wrenching. The main focus of the film, however, is terror. Whilst the ghoulies are suitably nasty, and make the pace of the latter half relentless, it's the confines of its cave setting that adds an extra element of vulnerability. It's dark, cramped and unnerving, with literally no escape. For most its uncomfortable. For claustrophobics, like me, it's terrifying.
Marshall has become repetitive as of late but his sophomore effort is something he can be truly proud of. The tension is palpable with every viewing.
4.5/5
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