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The Descent

  • 2005
  • R
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
233K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,306
94
Natalie Mendoza, Shauna Macdonald, Saskia Mulder, Alex Reid, Nora-Jane Noone, and MyAnna Buring in The Descent (2005)
Home Video Trailer from Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Play trailer2:04
1 Video
99+ Photos
AdventureHorrorThriller

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

  • Director
    • Neil Marshall
  • Writer
    • Neil Marshall
  • Stars
    • Shauna Macdonald
    • Natalie Mendoza
    • Alex Reid
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    233K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,306
    94
    • Director
      • Neil Marshall
    • Writer
      • Neil Marshall
    • Stars
      • Shauna Macdonald
      • Natalie Mendoza
      • Alex Reid
    • 1.3KUser reviews
    • 372Critic reviews
    • 71Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 8 wins & 22 nominations

    Videos1

    The Descent
    Trailer 2:04
    Watch The Descent

    Photos202

    Neil Marshall and Sam McCurdy in The Descent (2005)
    Shauna Macdonald in The Descent (2005)
    Shauna Macdonald in The Descent (2005)
    Natalie Mendoza and Saskia Mulder in The Descent (2005)
    Shauna Macdonald in The Descent (2005)
    Saskia Mulder and MyAnna Buring in The Descent (2005)
    Shauna Macdonald at an event for The Descent (2005)
    Shauna Macdonald, Saskia Mulder, Alex Reid, Nora-Jane Noone, and MyAnna Buring at an event for The Descent (2005)
    Neil Marshall at an event for The Descent (2005)
    Shauna Macdonald, Neil Marshall, and Nora-Jane Noone at an event for The Descent (2005)
    Nora-Jane Noone at an event for The Descent (2005)
    Nora-Jane Noone at an event for The Descent (2005)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Shauna Macdonald
    Shauna Macdonald
    • Sarah
    Natalie Mendoza
    Natalie Mendoza
    • Juno
    Alex Reid
    Alex Reid
    • Beth
    Saskia Mulder
    Saskia Mulder
    • Rebecca
    MyAnna Buring
    MyAnna Buring
    • Sam
    Nora-Jane Noone
    Nora-Jane Noone
    • Holly
    Oliver Milburn
    Oliver Milburn
    • Paul
    Molly Kayll
    • Jessica
    Craig Conway
    Craig Conway
    • Crawler - Scar
    Leslie Simpson
    • Crawler
    Mark Cronfield
    Mark Cronfield
    • Crawler
    Stephen Lamb
    • Crawler
    • (as Steve Lamb)
    Catherine Dyson
    • Crawler
    Julie Ellis
    • Crawler
    Sophie Trott
    • Crawler
    Tristan Matthiae
    Tristan Matthiae
    • Crawler
    Stuart Luis
    • Crawler
    Justin Hackney
    • Crawler
    • Director
      • Neil Marshall
    • Writer
      • Neil Marshall
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The "crawlers" were designed to resemble Nosferatu from the film Nosferatu (1922). They also had huge white eyes to begin with, but this idea was done away with because they looked too silly. It took three and a half hours in makeup to transform an actor into a "crawler." They had to shave off their body hair as well.
    • Goofs
      All of the spines in the various bone piles throughout the movie have the spines intact and the inter vertebral disks still present in the spines. Inter vertebral disks, however, are cartilage, not bone, and would have decayed (especially given that there is no clothing, hair, or fur in the bone piles, meaning that the bones are quite old). The spine segments should be scattered and in pieces, not in long segments.
    • Quotes

      Beth: I'm an English teacher, not fucking Tomb Raider.

    • Crazy credits
      The creature's snarling sound can be heard at the end of the credits.
    • Alternate versions
      SPOILER: The endings of the US and UK versions differ. In the end, Sarah wakes up at the bottom of the cave, crawls out, and makes her way back to the car. When she is driving away, she pulls over and vomits, and when she leans back into the car, she is startled by the ghost of Juno sitting in the passenger seat. The US version cuts to the credits here. In the UK version, this apparition causes Sarah to wake up for real at the bottom of the cave, revealing her escape to be just a dream. She then has a vision of her daughter's birthday cake, which we see is just her torch. The camera backs out, the voices of the creatures can be heard again and are increasing in strength as they are closing in on her, and the movie ends. This ending was considered "too dark" for US audiences.
    • Connections
      Featured in British Film Forever: Magic, Murder and Monsters: The Story of British Horror and Fantasy (2007)

    User reviews1.3K

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    One of the greatest British horrors ever made.
    Focusing on the fear of claustrophobia with the simple dread of the unknown, The Descent puts likable characters in frightening situations. As a horror fanatic, this film floats at the top of my list of best scary films in recent years. The setup feels like it moves quickly and seamlessly into the main storyline, but that's because it's so beautifully shot, well-acted, and scripted so that we know and care enough about the characters to worry once they belay down into the dark cave. This character knowledge carries weight throughout the movie, as the group variously splinters and works together to escape. Shocks and jolts start before the central scare appears. And props to an all-woman cast that feels totally natural and not slapped together to achieve cheap feminist self-congratulations. Well-acted and atmospheric, I recommend this movie to anyone wanting to see a solid, scary horror movie that doesn't reinvent the genre, but definitely strays from the norm.
    helpful•45
    12
    • SwatiUpadhay
    • Jul 14, 2019

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    FAQ14

    • What is 'The Descent' about?
    • Is "The Descent" based on a book?
    • What do the creatures look like?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 4, 2006 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • France
    • Official site
      • Official site (Germany)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El descenso
    • Filming locations
      • Perth and Kinross, Scotland, UK(on location)
    • Production companies
      • Celador Films
      • Northmen Productions
      • Pathe UK
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • £3,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $26,024,456
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $8,911,330
      • Aug 6, 2006
    • Gross worldwide
      • $57,130,027
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 39 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital EX
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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