In Case You Missed It: The Descent 3/5 by Corey
I have been searching for a horror movie so scary that it keeps me up late at night, days after the first viewing. I have been searching for a film so scary that I buy it on DVD in order to own it and then, when I put it into my DVD player, never get past the main menu. I have been searching for a genuinely terrifying horror film.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is as close as I'll probably get.
I saw a brief TV spot for The Descent quite a while back (before it hit theatres) and decided I would see it on the big screen. When that fell through, I decided I would rent it and watch it alone in my house in the dark in order to "get the full effect." Christmas rolled around and I managed to snag a hefty Target gift card. I bought the Alien Trilogy (Resurrection? What Resurrection?...), Casablanca, and The Descent.
I have this striking feeling that, even as I'm writing this review, if I had never seen the TV spot and seen the movie in theatres, you would be reading a 5/5 review right now.
The Descent's Unrated Cut is one of the (very) rare DVDs that actually detracts from the film. The Unrated Cut includes the original extended UK ending, which is significantly different than the US ending. And, for once, I much rather would have only seen the cut US version. The ending to the UK version is more of a "twist" (which, let's be honest, isn't really throwing any of us for a loop anymore) than I had hoped for and, unfortunately, is the ending that plays when you throw the disc in. If only I had known...
You probably won't recognize a single cast member as all the major characters are fairly young women who haven't had much big-name experience in the past. This works well for the movie because it never intends to be like the average slasher/horror flick. There is no random sexuality, no random drug references, no random Japanese weird crap. The film follows a group of women who go on a little spelunking (cave-exploring, you idiot) adventure that sucks hard. The pacing is great, reminiscent of the original Alien. The same goes for the lack of music. The monsters take a long time to come into play, but when they do, you'll know.
The gore here is shocking. Let me say this now so that everyone can be sure of it: if you feel at all uneasy about graphic gore, do not see The Descent. If you had trouble stomaching any of the Saw movies, do not see The Descent. If you didn't like the Texas Chainsaw remake not because it was produced by Michael Bay (don't even get me started) but because it was too violent, do not see The Descent.
I'm of the opinion that, whenever the opportunity presents itself, a Michael Bay jab cannot be turned down.
It's claustrophobic and dark (as in lighting) and will join the ranks as one of the most intense movies I've seen. The press managed, however, to give away one of the greatest parts of the movie in the trailer, which is a huge bummer. I wish the movie had been marketed without the monsters and without giving away their first appearance in every trailer and TV spot. Somehow, the creatures feel more real than in most horror movies, which I welcomed with open arms considering the last "scary" movie I saw had an old man with a soapbox to stand on and some lame torture devices.
This review feels more like a rant on the media than anything at this point. Without the revealing trailers and the original ending, The Descent is a great film. It's violent, incredibly atmospheric and an absolute blast to watch. It probably won't keep you up for days, but it scared the crap out of me while I was watching it and the jump scares (the window scene gets me every freakin' time) are really strong.
It deserves every bit of the hype it got and, in reality, is one of the best horror movies of the past ten years. The 3/5 is based on my experience of the film and I won't be surprised at all if yours differs tremendously. Unfortunately, I haven't yet found my horror film to buy and never watch again. I just can't help thinking this COULD have been it...
SEE this if...
-You always thought Gollum from LotR looked like he could do some serious damage if he really wanted to.
-You like scary movies but haven't been very impressed with the Japanese crap populating the theatres. (The Ring, The Grudge, Pulse)
-You never saw a trailer for it and you enjoy scary movies. Go rent it now and watch it tonight.
DON'T see this if...
-You haven't seen Alien or Aliens yet. They're better, similar in style, and should take priority.
-You had trouble understanding what the guys (except Mickey) were saying in Snatch. The accents are a little hard to get used to at first.
-You just came from Red Lobster with your date and want a good movie to hold hands with. You'll throw up and that's just not attractive anymore.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is as close as I'll probably get.
I saw a brief TV spot for The Descent quite a while back (before it hit theatres) and decided I would see it on the big screen. When that fell through, I decided I would rent it and watch it alone in my house in the dark in order to "get the full effect." Christmas rolled around and I managed to snag a hefty Target gift card. I bought the Alien Trilogy (Resurrection? What Resurrection?...), Casablanca, and The Descent.
I have this striking feeling that, even as I'm writing this review, if I had never seen the TV spot and seen the movie in theatres, you would be reading a 5/5 review right now.
The Descent's Unrated Cut is one of the (very) rare DVDs that actually detracts from the film. The Unrated Cut includes the original extended UK ending, which is significantly different than the US ending. And, for once, I much rather would have only seen the cut US version. The ending to the UK version is more of a "twist" (which, let's be honest, isn't really throwing any of us for a loop anymore) than I had hoped for and, unfortunately, is the ending that plays when you throw the disc in. If only I had known...
You probably won't recognize a single cast member as all the major characters are fairly young women who haven't had much big-name experience in the past. This works well for the movie because it never intends to be like the average slasher/horror flick. There is no random sexuality, no random drug references, no random Japanese weird crap. The film follows a group of women who go on a little spelunking (cave-exploring, you idiot) adventure that sucks hard. The pacing is great, reminiscent of the original Alien. The same goes for the lack of music. The monsters take a long time to come into play, but when they do, you'll know.
The gore here is shocking. Let me say this now so that everyone can be sure of it: if you feel at all uneasy about graphic gore, do not see The Descent. If you had trouble stomaching any of the Saw movies, do not see The Descent. If you didn't like the Texas Chainsaw remake not because it was produced by Michael Bay (don't even get me started) but because it was too violent, do not see The Descent.
I'm of the opinion that, whenever the opportunity presents itself, a Michael Bay jab cannot be turned down.
It's claustrophobic and dark (as in lighting) and will join the ranks as one of the most intense movies I've seen. The press managed, however, to give away one of the greatest parts of the movie in the trailer, which is a huge bummer. I wish the movie had been marketed without the monsters and without giving away their first appearance in every trailer and TV spot. Somehow, the creatures feel more real than in most horror movies, which I welcomed with open arms considering the last "scary" movie I saw had an old man with a soapbox to stand on and some lame torture devices.
This review feels more like a rant on the media than anything at this point. Without the revealing trailers and the original ending, The Descent is a great film. It's violent, incredibly atmospheric and an absolute blast to watch. It probably won't keep you up for days, but it scared the crap out of me while I was watching it and the jump scares (the window scene gets me every freakin' time) are really strong.
It deserves every bit of the hype it got and, in reality, is one of the best horror movies of the past ten years. The 3/5 is based on my experience of the film and I won't be surprised at all if yours differs tremendously. Unfortunately, I haven't yet found my horror film to buy and never watch again. I just can't help thinking this COULD have been it...
SEE this if...
-You always thought Gollum from LotR looked like he could do some serious damage if he really wanted to.
-You like scary movies but haven't been very impressed with the Japanese crap populating the theatres. (The Ring, The Grudge, Pulse)
-You never saw a trailer for it and you enjoy scary movies. Go rent it now and watch it tonight.
DON'T see this if...
-You haven't seen Alien or Aliens yet. They're better, similar in style, and should take priority.
-You had trouble understanding what the guys (except Mickey) were saying in Snatch. The accents are a little hard to get used to at first.
-You just came from Red Lobster with your date and want a good movie to hold hands with. You'll throw up and that's just not attractive anymore.
posted by Anonymous at 10:31 AM
2 Comments:
By the way, the lack of pictures is because I spent all the review railing on the media and didn't want anything spoiled for anyone who wanted to see it cold.
Don't be a hypocrite.
=P
A few points:
1) Can you believe the love of my life (a Mr. Joss Whedon) has a writing credit on Alien ressurection? Truly, no one is without blesmish...
2) Michael Bay should recieve multiple paper cuts all over his nipples.
3) I like that you say this film isn't like other slasher movies. The trailers for this made it seem like every other "kill-the-stupid-girl" movie out there, which is why I didn't see it. I cannot abide the "Torture-porn" genre. Unless it's snakes on a plane, but thats more of a parody.
4) I hate when alternate endings or directors cuts ruin a movie. I thought that way about Chronicles of Riddick. Some things are cut for a reason.
Nice review as always, fine sir.
Post a Comment
<< Home