Review of Descent (2007) by The Critic ( — 11 Jan 2015

Neil Marshall's feminist horror pic may not completely subvert the genre to the level that it should, but is nonetheless without a doubt one of the finest examples of the sub-genre there is. What holds the film back a little is that the six central women aren't given enough time to develop individual personalities; a longer prologue would have been beneficial. Character shorthand (traumatised wife/mother, student doctor, protective older sister, etc...) and diverse accents are utilised to speed up the process and get straight into the action, but Marshall underestimates the power of the material and his own skill as a filmmaker. But this quip pales in comparison to the overall production. There's exciting, incredibly intense manoeuvring through a claustrophobic cave system... and that's before the movie monsters (the slimy, human-esque Crawlers) make an unforgettable appearance.

Photographed utilising greens, reds and silhouettes, the action isn't always easy to observe, but outstanding creature design and strong female performances across the board (Shauna Macdonald and Natalie Mendoza as Sarah and Juno are particularly fine), there's plenty to enjoy in this edge-of-the-seat, nail-bitting journey.

A box office and critical hit, it was followed by 'The Descent 2' in 2009.