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Movies / On DVD / The Descent
The Descent

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The Descent (2006)

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Reviews Counted:159

Fresh:134

Rotten:25

Average Rating:7.3/10

Consensus: Deft direction and strong performances from its all-female cast guide The Descent, a riveting, claustrophobic horror film. In this low-budget import from Scotland, director Neil Marshall has masterfully created a spelunking nightmare, which doubles as a compelling meditation on morality, vengeance, and the depths to which we might go for survival.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong violence/gore and language.

Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Theatrical Release:Aug 4, 2006 Wide

Box Office: $26,005,908

Synopsis: THE DESCENT is Neil Marshall’s hotly anticipated follow up to his 2002 hit DOG SOLDIERS. Directed by Marshall from his own script, it tells the story of an all-female caving expedition that goes... THE DESCENT is Neil Marshall’s hotly anticipated follow up to his 2002 hit DOG SOLDIERS. Directed by Marshall from his own script, it tells the story of an all-female caving expedition that goes horribly wrong, and stars Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder, Nora-Jane Noone and Myanna Buring. Set in a cave system deep in the Appalachian Mountains, Marshall describes his film as ‘DELIVERANCE goes underground’. On a daredevil caving holiday, six women friends are unexpectedly trapped underground when a rock fall blocks their exit. Searching the maze of tunnels for a way out, they find themselves hunted by a race of fearless, hungry predators, once humanoid but now monstrously adapted to live in the dark… As the others battle for their lives, Sarah (Macdonald), still recovering from a mental collapse brought on by the recent deaths of her family, is fighting for her sanity. When old secrets are revealed, the friends turn on one another, causing the group to implode. Betrayed and desperate, Sarah realizes that to make it back to the surface, she must become as savage as the creatures themselves. THE DESCENT was filmed on location in Scotland and at Pinewood Studios from December 2004 to February 2005, and was fully financed and produced by Celador Films. Celador’s Paul Smith is executive producer and Christian Colson is producer. The film reunites Marshall with DOG SOLDIERS’ director of photography, Sam McCurdy, and production designer, Simon Bowles. Celador’s previous credits include the Oscar-nominated DIRTY PRETTY THINGS. THE DESCENT movie has already had a hugely successful release both critically and commercially in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. In September, 2005 the film took the top competition prize -- the Méliès d’Argent -- for Euro feature at Lund International Fantastic Film Festival in Sweden, and in November, Neil Marshall won Best Director and the film Best Technical Achievement (for the Editing) at the British Independent Films Awards (BIFA's) (THE DESCENT was nominated for Best Film). It has also been nominated for Best British Film, Best British Director and Best British Producer by the London Film Critics Circle (the winners are announced in February), an unheard of achievement for a genre piece. --© Lionsgate Films [More]

Starring: Shauna MacDonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder

Starring: Shauna MacDonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder, Nora-Jane Noone, MyAnna Buring, Oliver Milburn, Molly Kayll

Director: Neil Marshall

Director: Neil Marshall
Producer: Christian Colson
Screenwriter: Neil Marshall
Composer: David Julyan
Studio: Lions Gate Films

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Release:

Dec 26, 2006

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Reviews for The Descent

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61 - 80 (sorted by date)
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a gripping journey into madness

Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | comment Comment
08/06/06
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

(For fans) who prefer their scary films well rooted in the believable before adding a fantastic element or two, (this) is exactly the horror film you've been waiting for.

Full Review Source: MovieCrypt.com | comment Comment
08/06/06
Kevin A. Ranson
Kevin A. Ranson
MovieCrypt.com

Few films parlay their assets so well... or reap such frightfully powerful rewards.

Full Review Source: Flipside Movie Emporium | comment Comment
08/06/06
Rob Vaux
Rob Vaux
Flipside Movie Emporium

The Descent is probably best seen at a midnight screening with a gaggle of like-minded horror junkies. The screams (and there will be screams) will be much louder then.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
08/06/06
David Thomas
David Thomas
Filmcritic.com

... The Descent may not be everything you've heard, but man, it's also a lot of things you haven't.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
08/06/06
Marc Savlov
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle

Can audiences weaned on the murky sadism of the Saw movies and the Hills Have Eyes remake even recognize what a truly scary movie looks and feels like?

Full Review Source: Zap2it.com | comment Comment
08/05/06
Dan Fienberg
Dan Fienberg
Zap2it.com

Expertly written and directed, this outing is definitely not for the squeamish. So guys, be sure you take your girlfriend to hang on to!

Full Review Source: Maxim | comment Comment
08/05/06
Pete Hammond
Pete Hammond
Maxim

...this one is not only exceedingly well done, it is guaranteed to put you through the ringer.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
08/05/06
Laura Clifford
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews

THE DESCENT is a genuinely suspenseful adventure and horror film. The scariest monster is the cave itself.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
08/05/06
Mark R. Leeper
Mark R. Leeper
rec.arts.movies.reviews
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
08/05/06
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Superbuff bodecious bimboes battle subertanian uberfiends! Cool!

Full Review Source: Greenwich Village Gazette | comment Comment
08/05/06
Eric Lurio
Eric Lurio
Greenwich Village Gazette

The Descent sustains a level of intensity that most horror films can barely muster for five minutes.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
08/05/06
Scott Tobias
Scott Tobias
AV Club

This is the kind of horror movie horror fans mention when they try to explain why they love horror movies.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
08/05/06
David Cornelius
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com

It's never a good idea for B movies to try to evoke feeling for their monster fodder characters. It's enough if you just don't hate the people... The actors are most convincing when they're just screaming.

Full Review Source: Can Magazine | comment 1 Comment
08/04/06
Fred Topel
Fred Topel
Can Magazine

This journey down and inwards, piercing Mother Earth but metaphorically “a descent into madness” and psyche, is not personally involving or convincing.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
08/04/06
Donald J. Levit
Donald J. Levit
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

Technical details and weak characters fail to derail the latest frontrunner in blood soaked underground horror.

Full Review Source: Monsters and Critics | comment Comment
08/04/06
Ron Wilkinson
Ron Wilkinson
Monsters and Critics

Becomes so enthralling and intense that perspective viewers shouldn't be surprised if they forget to breathe for minutes at a time.

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment Comment
08/04/06
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com

By far, the first half is the most effective as the outing goes from bad to disastrous: Sarah [Shauna Macdonald] gets trapped in a tunnel ("Just keep breathing!"), and the rest are lost - this film is not for the claustrophobic.

Full Review Source: Film-Forward.com | comment Comment
08/04/06
Kent Turner
Kent Turner
Film-Forward.com

Grabs at the jugular and doesn’t let go until the last gory frame.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
08/04/06
Jeanne Aufmuth
Jeanne Aufmuth
Palo Alto Weekly

A lean, mean genre exercise for those who prefer their horror full-blooded.

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
08/04/06
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews
 
 
61 - 80 (sorted by date)
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Latest News for The Descent

June 12, 2009: Neil Marshall in Talks for New Predator? Opens in new window
According to Bloody Disgusting, you'll never guess who's in talks to direct the new "Predator" movie...unless you guess Neil Marshall ("The Descent"). More...

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Does a new collection of webisodes hosted on MySpace and featuring tabloid teen favourites Jamie Dornan and Lois Winstone constitute a revival of the Hammer Horror film? Not so,... More...

May 06, 2008: Neil Marshall's 10 Post-Apocalyptic Picks
The Doomsday director runs RT through the movies that inspired his cyber-punk vision of a dodgy future. More...

April 03, 2008: Box Office Guru Preview: Clooney Suits Up For Football Fun
George Clooney, the Mayor McCheese of Hollywood, leaves behind Oscar season and returns to the big screen with lighter fare with the period sports comedy Leatherheads. More...

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