The Descent | 100 Movies Bucket List

 

This is a re-watch that I was really looking forward to. I love this movie and have seen it multiple times so I was really glad to see it on the list.

And as always, I loved it on this re-watch too.

It hits you over the head from the very beginning. That opening scene is so brutal, and comes so out of nowhere that you have no idea where the film is going. 

It's nice to get to know the characters, but we don't get to know them enough to easily differentiate between them. Before they get into the cave, a lot of them are interchangeable, and in the cave with low light, it can get way too easy to get people mixed up.

We get into the cave quickly, and once we do, the anticipation never really lets up. Even on a first time blind watch, with no idea what could happen, the atmosphere alone is so tense and unsettling that you're just waiting for something bad to happen.

A lot of the dialogue feels inauthentic or hits the ear wrong, but because the plot is so strong it doesn't matter too much. That being said, it didn't feel like these characters were real people, and it certainly didn't feel like they had real relationships with each other.

One of the best things about this film is the way things turn. On the surface the horror is getting stuck in a cave, a scary enough situation. So when we get further into the film and discover the true horror, it takes the film to another level and makes it a really fun watch.

The location is great. It does a really good job of getting across how claustrophobic and hopeless the characters are. You feel boxed in just watching it!

Because the film is so plot-driven, it gets better the scarier it is. We don't care too much about the characters or their lives outside of this world, so we're just watching to be scared, and the film delivers in atmosphere, tone and jumps.

It definitely could have done with being lit a bit better, but the darkness definitely added to the atmosphere.

After about 50 minutes, it does become a bit same-y. There's only so much that can happen in this scenario, so when we know the full extent of the horror, there's not much else we haven't seen or can't guess. Which doesn't take away from the enjoyment, but it can feel repetitive.

That said, even when it's repetitive, there are still jump scares that take you by surprise!

In terms of the ending(s), I've seen both, and watched both again this time around, and I think I prefer the UK ending to the US one. There's just something about the euphoria to despair, and the acceptance of fate, that made the UK one so powerful.

This movie definitely deserves the classic title, and it's one that I'll continue to rewatch!