The Descent (2005)

Director:

Neil Marshall

Writer:

Neil Marshall (writer)

Release Date:

4 August 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Scream your last breath.

Plot:

A caving expedition goes horribly wrong, as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators.

Plot Keywords:

Cave | Expedition | Friendship | Blood | Cave In

Awards:

7 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Shauna Macdonald	...	Sarah
Natalie Jackson Mendoza	...	Juno (as Natalie Mendoza)
Alex Reid	...	Beth
Saskia Mulder	...	Rebecca
MyAnna Buring	...	Sam
Nora-Jane Noone	...	Holly
Oliver Milburn	...	Paul
Molly Kayll	...	Jessica
Craig Conway	...	Crawler - Scar
Leslie Simpson	...	Crawler
Mark Cronfield	...	Crawler
Stephen Lamb	...	Crawler (as Steve Lamb)
Catherine Dyson	...	Crawler
Julie Ellis	...	Crawler
Sophie Trott	...	Crawler

Also Known As:

Crawlspace (UK) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence/gore and language.

Runtime:

99 min | 100 min (original unrated cut)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS (US prints) | Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

Norway:15 | Philippines:R-18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Germany:18 | Finland:K-18 | Singapore:R21 | Singapore:M18 (cut) | Taiwan:R-18 | Sweden:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Netherlands:16 (cut) | Iceland:16 | France:-16 | Argentina:16 | Germany:16 (cut version) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | USA:R (certificate #41746) | Brazil:16 | Australia:MA | New Zealand:R16 | Japan:R-18 | Italy:VM14 | South Korea:18 | Malaysia:18SG | Germany:18 (DVD rating) | Ireland:18 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Celador Films

Trivia:

Watch closely during the scene after the cave-in. While the girls are arguing about how to get out, Sarah is moving her flashlight about the chamber. She shines it on a ledge for a fraction of a second as she is moving the light around, and you can can see the shadow or outline of a crawler. When she passes by the ledge again with the flashlight, the shadow is gone, and you can faintly hear a scurrying sound as it is running away.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Juno and Sarah are talking during their meal break, Juno has nothing in her hands. But when the angle changes she is suddenly holding an apple.

Quotes:

Holly: Hey, there's something down here...

Movie Connections:

References Alone in the Dark (2005)

Dark, claustrophobic thriller hits the mark

This tense thriller is a terrifying chronicle of six young women who explore caves in the Appalachian Mountains and find unspeakable horror thousands of feet down. A cave-in traps them with no way to retrace their steps, but don't yet know that a terrible fate lurks around the tunnel's next bend. The film is reminiscent of "The Lost Patrol" as the ladies band together as much as they can against a ghoulish and unseen foe, with each girl's nerves pushed to the breaking point. The movie's dark, claustrophobic look adds realism to the ghastly dangers that the young women face and the music score is effective. The girls have several encounters with the predators underground and use torches and climbing gear to fight off their attackers. Natalie Mendoza is the group's ambitious leader who misleads the other women about the caves and also tries to cover up an awful deed she committed in a wild flight to escape. The four other women on this ill-fated expedition are also good in difficult roles. This movie is certainly one of the best films of 2006.