The thing about setting a horror movie in a cave is that the very setting does most of the work for you. The claustrophobia of squeezing through tight spaces, the terror of getting stuck, the threat of cave-ins, and the absolute darkness if your light sources fail, these are all as scary as any monster. Even if there is nothing evil in the cave (spoiler alert: there is!), you've got plenty of scary material to work with. “The Descent” makes effective use of all of it.
The story involves some adventure-seeking female friends who enter a remote cave in North Carolina and run into more trouble than they bargained for. I'll leave it at that, not to avoid spoilers, but because there really isn't much more to the plot. This movie isn't about narrative arc. It's about atmosphere, dread, panic, and sheer terror.
British director Neil Marshall wrote and directed the film, which is only his second feature. He gets excellent performances from his cast of mostly-unknown actresses, and he takes his time building up the tension and horror. This is not a movie that makes any profound, philosophical statements about life. It's just a terrifically-wrought scary movie. If I have any criticism, it is that once we find out why the women are in this particular cave, it seems rather improbable. Also, the story perpetuates the stereotype of female friendships being fraught with competition, jealousy, and infidelity.
Be aware, too, that there are two endings: Marshall's original, bleaker ending, and the version edited for American audiences, which is what I saw. The film loses points for that, in my book. Ever since I read Great Expectations, I've had a grudge against stories with alternate endings. If I'm going to invest my energy and attention in a story, I want it to commit to an ending, happy or sad, comedic or tragic.
“The Descent” scores a perfect 10 when it comes to being scary. I'll take points off for the weak story and for the alternative ending thing, giving it
3.5 stars out of 5
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