The Descent: Part 2 (2009)

Director:

Jon Harris

Writers:

J Blakeson (writer)
James McCarthy (writer)

Release Date:

2010 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Fear runs deeper

Plot:

Distraught, confused, and half-wild with fear, Sarah Carter emerges alone from the Appalachian cave system where she encountered unspeakable terrors...

Plot Keywords:

Cave | Blood | Fear | Stabbed In The Neck | Covered In Blood

Cast

Shauna Macdonald	...	Sarah
Natalie Jackson Mendoza	...	Juno
Krysten Cummings	...	Rios
Gavan O'Herlihy	...	Vaines
Joshua Dallas	...	Greg
Anna Skellern	...	Cath
Douglas Hodge	...	Dan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Doug Ballard	...	Doctor Payne
Robin Berry	...	Merrick Crawler
MyAnna Buring	...	Sam
Axelle Carolyn	...	Nurse Lambert
Josh Cole	...	Lynch
Seamus Maynard	...	Beanie Hat Caver
Mac McDonald	...	Mayor Riley
Saskia Mulder	...	Rebecca
Nora-Jane Noone	...	Holly
Alex Reid	...	Beth
Michael J. Reynolds	...	Ed Oswald
Ian Rowland
Jessika Williams	...	Reporter

Also Known As:

The De2cent (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Canada:PG | USA:R | UK:18 | Ireland:18 | Japan:R15+ | France:-12

Filming Locations:

Ashridge Park, Little Gaddesden, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Celador Films

Goofs:

Continuity: Dirt on Sarah's face (her right side, mouth/cheek area) comes and goes between shots as she is sitting and talking to the rescue team underground.

Quotes:

Doctor Payne: Blood found on Sarah Carter's clothes: A positive. Blood type for Juno Caplan: A positive.

Movie Connections:

Follows The Descent (2005)

More atmosphere in space?

The Descent: Part 2 has delivered us from evil with rather obvious outcomes that can be seen coming from fathoms deep. It is the continuation of Neil Marshall's claustrophobic, tight hunt and stalk fest, but with Jon Harris's potholing adventure, there just seems to be too much guided light in the narrative. If there were a plot, it was buried with, too, the lack of any meaningful purpose. It is just a rescue party getting deeper into the mire in the land of the anaemic crawlers and with no character depth and only a taint of direction to head for, it really does stumble along and all too easily, it falls too much down the slippery slope of predictability. This in turn takes away any meaning of suspense and then proceeds to cancel any true meaning of horror. It may be frightening but it just is not horrific in both the physical and the mental state. This is without doubt more descending than ascending in all aspects style, content and direction.

As there should be in any self-respecting horror film, the heart stoppers and jump-scares are adequate to enhance the mood and to remind you just exactly where we are, and the crawlers are, as ever, a visual treat to this genre. However, it falls in on itself with the lack of any connection between the players, and their viewers', too. It is all very soap opera in the sense that no matter where you join the show, you can instantly watch the show from where you start and there is no concern for what you may have missed previously.

This is too highlighted in the fact that there are no opening credits, apart from its title it's straight into the thick of things and this does make it feel rather pushed and not at all like a film but a ninety-four minute let's-get-on-with-it-while-we-are-here, again, what development can be addressed in only ninety-four minutes? Like our white skinned wrinklies, The Descent: Part 2 is not the living experience one would hope but its only purpose is to exist. Nothing more. Nothing less.

This is where I am saddened by this whole experience; I would very much like this to have been the fright fest I would had wished for, but I am afraid that Jon Harris's (editor for Eden Lake (2008), The Calcium Kid (2004) and Snatch. (2000)) experience as editor on the The Descent (2005) may not have rubbed-off onto his directorial debut here. With belief suspended, the narrative can still beg too many questions and because of this becomes too distracting for its part here, as it is too stifled for any dexterity to emerge in as much a style of somewhat lazy writing in what can seem all too hollow a journey in this claustrophobic, ghoulish nightmare.