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Written by Gabriel Llanas
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Wednesday, 26 July 2006 |
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 ‘The Descent’
Three stars [out of 4]
Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid
R (violence, gore and language), 1 hr. 39 mins.
Many people have said that Neil Marshal is the new face of British horror and if the two films to his credit — “Dog Soldiers” and “The Descent” — are any indication, that is a correct statement.
Not since the heyday of Hammer Films has the United Kingdom put out as solid of a movie as “The Descent.”
On the heels of an accident that robs her of her husband and daughter, Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) and her friends Juno (Natalie Mendoza) and Beth (Alex Reid) gather a group for a caving adventure in the United States.
Things go wrong and they are cut off from the outside world. As they delve deeper into the cave, the group’s dynamic turns sour, compounded by the fact that they are hunted by creatures bent on consuming their flesh. The simplicity of the plot allows the characters to develop in their dual descent, one into the caves and one into madness.
That simplicity is what makes Marshall such a dynamic director. Through the use of pure black, excellent acting from an all-female ensemble cast, and a creature that holds off its appearance on screen for nearly the first hour of the film, Marshall ratchets up the tension until you’re about to burst in your seat.
The movie is finally getting a wide theatrical release in the U.S. on Aug. 4.
With the American release of the film, there is a change to the ending that is rumored to be a little less downbeat than the U.K. release. In spite of Hollywood’s need to tinker with every foreign film (did they really need to remake “Ju-on” or “Ringu”?) this is one not to miss.
It is the perfect blend of action and horror that makes it readily accessible to the palate of even the least horror-versed movie viewer.
Marshall is the director to watch in the horror community and the director to watch coming from the United Kingdom.
Gabriel Llanas is a husband to a wonderful wife named Julie and a father to three kids: Baleigh 4, Ashton 2, and Sophia, brand new. He works full time, writes for
www.dredtales.com and runs a small press at www.punkhorror.com. | Only registered users can write comments.
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