‘I’m an English teacher, not fucking Tomb Raider…’
As much is I love horror films to death, it isn’t half hard to get through most of them. It is a labour of love to endure the ten crap horror films you have to watch before you find one gem. Occasionally however, a horror film comes along that makes you sit up and take notice and The Descent falls squarely into that category.
On the surface, a group of friends going on a caving holiday together is a simple plot. There is a lot more going on under the surface in The Descent though, both literally and figuratively. Whilst the acting is sometimes patchy and the dialogue a bit forgettable, the atmosphere and growing sense of dread render The Descent a visceral and heart stopping experience and some of the jump scares had me emitting small childlike yelps at regular intervals.
Director Neil Marshall impressed with his first effort Dog Soldiers but The Descent is his masterpiece. It is no surprise that two of the best Game of Thrones episodes were also directed by Marshall. The English director’s second film is one of the most celebrated English horror films of the last decade and rightly so. It is just a shame that the incredible ending is neutered somewhat by the distinctly average sequel.