The Descent (2005)

Movies like this really bug me. Why spend the first half of a film building up real character development and legitimate tension if you’re going to squander it on cheap scare tactics and an antagonist that is utterly unbelievable? I enjoyed much of this horror film but try as I might, I just can’t give it the benefit of the doubt.

A year after losing her husband and daughter in a car accident, Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) is taken on a spelunking trip by her friends Juno (Natalie Mendoza) and Beth (Alex Reid). They hope the trip will help their friend recover from the depression she lives with. Along with three other women, they head into the heart of the Appalachian Mountains to explore what they think is a well-marked cave system.

Not long into their expedition, a tunnel collapse cuts off their only way out. Juno comes clean with the group and informs them that she thought it would be exciting to explore an unknown cave. With no way of calling for help, the women are forced to move deeper into the caverns in search of another way out. Claustrophobia and the dark soon become the least of their concerns when they realize that silent predators are stalking them in the shadows.

I’d like to sing a few of praises before laying into the failings of this film. First of all, I found it refreshing for a horror film to have an all-female cast. Is it a potentially manipulative move? Sure, but for the first half of the film there is no manipulation to be found. We learn a little about each of the characters and they are all likeable in one way or another. I’ve said it ad nauseam but it bears repeating- people are hard-wired to be concerned about women in danger. The fact that the script backs up that automatic concern with likable characters places it well ahead of most horror films.

One other ‘triumph’ is that, despite a cast of young women, The Descent never succumbs to lesbian hookups to appease the largely male-centric horror audience. There are subtle glances and non-verbal cues that suggest one of the girls might be a little bi-curious but the restraint employed saves the film. There is also no nudity in the film, which is a major accomplishment for a horror film featuring six beautiful women. All of this comes during the first half of the film, which builds it up into something that seems both plausible and acceptable.

The cinematography during many of the early spelunking scenes is quite good. You’d never know that the caves and tunnels are all set pieces. I especially liked the lighting. All too often you’ll find movie scenes in dark places are, remarkably, lit to the point that the audience and the characters can still see much of their surroundings. Not here. Tight camera shots and lighting based mostly off of the girls’ helmets and flashlights really build up the tension of claustrophobia.

The convincing woman-vs.-nature conflict plays out well, as the ladies struggle past a number of daunting obstacles. In fact, there is very little horror in the first half, which is a good thing. Sane horror fans never ask for the carnage to begin right away. This film might have been better had it just been about their struggle through the cave. It was convincing enough and would have afforded more opportunity to taut filmmaking.

But no, this is a horror film! Knowing that Sarah sees something lurking in the shadows is creepy enough. Hearing their strange noises in a dark, foreign cavern as the creatures follow our characters is doubly creepy. Seeing the freakish creatures? Not so scary. You would think that the legacy of Jaws and Alien would have convinced people that less is more. Sadly, we see too much of these baddies and far too often. They look like Gollum on steroids and are capable of crawling on the walls and ceilings like Spider-Man.

We are meant to believe that these creatures are humanoids that evolved over years spent in the dark, cold environment of the caves. What’s not clear is whether these creatures evolved from explorers that got trapped in the cave a century or more ago or if they pre-date those poor souls. Either way, anyone with a shred of common sense (or even a basic understanding of micro-evolution) will shake their head in bewilderment. Everything else about this film is so right on- why throw something so out there into the mix? Just make them inbred hillbillies or a satanic cult that uses the caves for sacrifices. Anything but zombie-esque humanoids!

The more I think about it, I shall show some remorse on The Descent. I was going to give it a lower rating but thinking about all that it did right makes it seem unfair to punish with low marks. That being said, this film could have easily scored a full point higher. That’s how much damage one heinous decision can do for a film. The first half? Pretty awesome. The second half? Formulaic nonsense. Pick a direction and stick with it. Until then, count me out.

RATING: 2.5 out of 5