Under the Radar: Don’t forget headlamp batteries as you crawl through ‘The Descent’

Kyle Quinlan
Fri, 10 Nov 2023 02:15:01 +0000
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This week’s Under the Radar spotlights “The Descent,” a 2005 thriller/horror film directed by Neil Marshall. Graphic credit: Kyle Quinlan

Under The Radar is a weekly film column that highlights underappreciated and overlooked movies of the past.

“The Descent” (2005)

Genre: Thriller/Horror
Starring: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid
Director: Neil Marshall

Post-midterm exhaustion, autumn’s dwindling beauty and winter’s impending doom seemingly suck the life out of Ohio State students. As we sleepwalk through campus with what little energy we have left, something needs to snap this zombified campus back to life and make us feel again.

Neil Marshall’s “The Descent” can be the heart-jolting defibrillator that shocks Buckeyes’ overworked and sleep-deprived minds back to reality, one jump scare at a time.

In hopes of rekindling their joint friendship, six women set out for an adventurous and exciting spelunking trip, eager to explore North Carolina’s cave systems. Hotshot caver and de facto leader Juno (Natalie Mendoza) guides the group underground and into the dangerously uncharted tunnels.

When the cave’s entrance unexpectedly collapses, the group is forced to find their way out by going deeper into the tunnel system, with only headlamps and the gear on their backs to help them.

The fear of being trapped takes a backseat when the women realize they may not be alone, falling into complete chaos when they encounter something sinister and hungry lurking in the cave shadows.

An unhinged and heart-pounding survival story, “The Descent” is a wild ride that will surely cause watchers to jump, scream and squirm in fear.

Why “The Descent” is a Must-Watch

The film’s greatest weapon is its setting: a seemingly endless cave that holds a new nightmare around every turn. Much like the Overlook Hotel in “The Shining,” the cave is almost a character itself, directly impacting every scene in which it is featured.

Between constantly dripping water from stalactites and echoey off-screen murmurs, the cave’s sheer claustrophobia factor will make viewers’ blood pressure spike before anything scary even happens.

The majority of “The Descent” is lit only by characters’ headlamps, glow sticks and flares, creating an even more intense atmosphere as viewers scan the darkness for potential scares throughout the entire near 100-minute runtime.

Since our brains have become accustomed to haunted houses (hello, “The Conjuring” and “Insidious”), demonic cabins (good day, “Evil Dead”) and cursed churches (you’re beautiful, “Prince of Darkness”), the cave acts as a refreshing setting that hasn’t received much screen time across the horror genre.

Effective horror flicks strategically build suspense and mystery in the first act, which eventually pays off when the actual “horror” arrives later on. When filmmakers fail to pace action properly — which is a common misstep in the horror genre at large — movies often cut to the chase too quickly, not allowing audience members’ fear to sufficiently simmer.

Director Marshall does not struggle with this problem; rather, he is extremely patient in his setup. While still being thoroughly entertained throughout the first act, viewers watch as Marshall basically diffuses a bomb, anxiously waiting for it to explode with the terrifying and gory images that feel inevitable.

“The Descent” is a true thrill ride and an enthralling take on the “we need to escape” subgenre of horror, with some unexpectedly awesome action sequences mixed in.

The Reception, The Legacy

IMDb: 7.2/10
Letterboxd: 3.6/5
Budget: $3.5 million
Worldwide Box Office: $57.1 million

The most obvious reason for “The Descent” flying under people’s radars is the complete lack of name recognition when it comes to the film’s cast and crew.

None of the actors went on to become stars — at least in American movie culture — and Marshall did not create anything else particularly noteworthy after 2005. He did go on to direct the 2019 “Hellboy” remake, but it was quite a swing and a miss with audiences. Nevertheless, everyone involved in “The Descent” fires on all cylinders.

Garnering positive reviews and a solid following, “The Descent” has been featured on many media list rankings that place the film in impressive company.

Slant Magazine gave it the 56th spot on its “100 Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century” list, while Empire Magazine’s “50 Best Horror Movies” list named “The Descent” as the 25th best horror movie of all time. Inflated or not, one has to appreciate this movie’s recognition among horror lovers.

Famed critic Roger Ebert called “The Descent” a “fresh, exciting movie I’ve been wanting for months. Or for years, it seems.” He then gave the movie a perfect 4/4 star rating — the same rating he gave “The Godfather.”

Similar Movies

Director John Erick Dowdle’s “As Above, So Below” is extremely similar to “The Descent,” all the way from its premise to its style of scares. A group of explorers descend into the Catacombs of Paris in search of an ancient relic, only to find themselves caught in a hellish world of unbelievable madness.

And as a firm believer in going into scary movies knowing as little as possible, here are a few rapid-fire recommendations for your late-night watchlist: “The Night House,” “Ghostland” and “The Autopsy of Jane Doe.”

Bonus recommendation: 2008’s “Lake Mungo” also stands apart as a deeply undervalued film about a young girl’s death and the mysterious paranormal events that follow. Told in a documentary style with interviews, old tapes and a whole lot of atmospheric horror, “Lake Mungo” is a distinctly disturbing watch for horror fans.

Up next on Under The Radar: We’re traveling up to Alaska for an undervalued Christopher Nolan flick, with Mrs. Doubtfire and Michael Corleone running the show.