The Descent (R)

A scary gorefest underground. Not for kids.

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About Our Ratings
Common Sense rates it
3
Seen the movie? Review it
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Movie details
  • Studio: Lions Gate Entertainment, Lions Gate Entertainment
  • Directed By: Neil Marshall
  • Cast: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza
  • Running Time: 99 minutes
  • Release Date: 08/04/2006
  • Video/DVD Release Date: 12/26/2006
  • Genre: Horror
  • MPAA Rating: R
  • MPAA Explanation: strong violence/gore and language

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that the violence in the movie is visceral and bloody. A car accident puts spikes through a character's head (visible from the rear) and kills a child (off-screen). Once inside the very small-spaced cave, the women argue and show fear (in alarming scenes conveying subjective states). The monsters are gruesome, both pasty and slimy, as well as vicious. Some characters lie to each other, but the reasons are more complicated than in most horror films.

Families can talk about the sense of loss embodied by Sarah, whose family dies in a car crash before the main action. How are the women's friendships tested by their increasing horrific circumstances? They could also talk about the popularity of horror movies: Why do we love to be scared? Does this one break any new ground in the genre?

Message

Social Behavior:

Some of the women courageously look out for each other; some are selfish, tricky, and fearful.

Consumerism:

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Characters smoke a couple of cigarettes and drink beers the night before the descent.

Violence

Brutal, grisly violence inflicted on and by women cave-climbers: Images include dismembering, penetrations, crushed heads and chests.

Sex

Mostly unspoken tension concerning a husband who cheats on his wife with her best friend.

Language

Plenty of f-words, increasing as the women go deeper into the cave, as well as other obscenities.

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Cynthia Fuchs

In the beginning of THE DESCENT, Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) is an athletic, good-natured wife, mom, and best friend to whitewater rafting buddies Juno (Natalie Mendoza) and Beth (Alex Reid). Within minutes, however, that life is over, as a car accident leaves Sarah alone and traumatized. A year later, Sarah’s girlfriends convince her to join them cave-exploring in the Appalachian Mountains, to help her recover from her loss. The spelunking group includes spunky-punky Holly (Nora-Jane Noone) and goodhearted sisters Rebecca (Saskia Mulder) and Sam (MyAnna Buring). When a tunnel cave-in blocks their way out and Sarah seems to be haunted by her daughter's voice, the group begins to worry; things get worse when they're confronted by monsters deep in the darkness. Soon, the adventurers are fighting for their lives against "crawlers," blind, gnarly creatures with fearsome teeth and very bendable backbones.

Is it any good?

3
Equal parts yucky, scary, and delirious, The Descent is also clever about its limits, and chilling in its effects. It sets up a specific emotional situation for its protagonist, then turns it inside out, with the help of especially daunting monsters. Suddenly, Sarah can no longer be focused only on her own despair, but must face the worst external threats imaginable.

While the plot is straightforward and eventually predictable -- women in a terrible place get scared, get assaulted in terrible ways, and get tough -- the film is also about trust and betrayal, as well as surprising sources of strength. Exaggerating the usual horror movie gambit, the movie invites you to reconsider genre-based expectations. Sarah finds in herself an unexpected ferocity and an almost frightening determination to endure. What's smart about the movie is that it makes her survival costly. While she's relieved to be alive, she's also horrified by her own change.

Other choices

Parents and kids say

All Reviews

There are 13 reviews.

Age 17+
5


Posted on 07/02/08 by BlackDogNate Adult contributor

Age 17+
3


Posted on 12/26/07 by kimikoala Adult contributor

0


Posted on 08/01/07 by a fatman Kid contributor, age 13

i wasted my time with this crap

this movie sucks not worth seeing but 4 those of u who insist go ahead and waste ur time appropriotte 4 kids my age - yes movie has some blood pop up scary and horrible DON'T WASTE UR TIME!
5


Posted on 07/12/07 by DeagleD Kid contributor, age 12

Best horror of the millenium.

The Descent is the best horror of the 200's so far. I can't speak for the 20th century, i havent seen anything around then. But this is the only recent horror that wasn't just all out gore and no plot. The movie should be rated r, but mostly for the cussing. I have the Unrated and haven't seen the rated r and the UR isn't that bad for an r movie. I'd guess it was just extended, not "containing material to scary for theaters". No big name actors, but great horror with full plot and thrills starting and the cave-ins and ending with the crawlers.
Age 13+
5


Posted on 05/27/07 by paper_monkey Adult contributor

Good Stuff!!!

All your fears bundled into one movie makes for a great watch! I rented a few weeks back and watched it with my twelve year old and she had no problems with it!
2


Posted on 03/17/07 by misscompetitive Kid contributor, age 12

hate it

i thought this movie was so bd that i had to gop away for a few minutes! there was a ton of blood and it was horible if you are clostrofobic then you should never see this movie and after you see it you will be clostrofobic however my 14 year old brother thought it was the best movie in the world but my cousin and i thought he was being retarted lol well thats what i thought of themovie i gthink no body would like it XD
4


Posted on 02/19/07 by directerdude123 Kid contributor, age 13

Age 2+
5


Posted on 01/31/07 by TycoonR1 Adult contributor

so good

this movie was he best movie i have ever seen i love it i own it on DVD!!! Watch it dont wait go see it NOW
0


Posted on 01/24/07 by lafs1684 Kid contributor, age 15

its boring.

I was at my cousins with my sister and her neighbor brought over the unrated version with her and we watched it. we all thought it was confusing and boring we didnt even like know the characters names lol. the only part that like we thought was digusting was when the bone came out of her leg.
5


Posted on 01/23/07 by mark c Kid contributor, age 17

I loved This movie

i rented this movie yesterday i loved it i dont know about the rated version but i rented the unrated it was awsome i loved the way the movie was unpredictable and scary in scense i think it should be for 16 and up i dont think it should be rated NC-17 there is no reason for it its R for the normal and r fits it alot of blood gore bodys getting mangled family looses father and daughter to crash and a pole goes through there dads and babys head u see blood squirt all over

See all 13 reviews >

Adult Reviews

There are 5 reviews.

Age 17+
5


Posted on 07/02/08 by BlackDogNate Adult contributor

Age 17+
3


Posted on 12/26/07 by kimikoala Adult contributor

Age 13+
5


Posted on 05/27/07 by paper_monkey Adult contributor

Good Stuff!!!

All your fears bundled into one movie makes for a great watch! I rented a few weeks back and watched it with my twelve year old and she had no problems with it!
Age 2+
5


Posted on 01/31/07 by TycoonR1 Adult contributor

so good

this movie was he best movie i have ever seen i love it i own it on DVD!!! Watch it dont wait go see it NOW
Age 17+
4


Posted on 01/06/07 by whatever9696 Adult contributor

Very good horror movie with a ton of blood and gore

Kids Reviews

There are 8 reviews.

0


Posted on 08/01/07 by a fatman Kid contributor, age 13

i wasted my time with this crap

this movie sucks not worth seeing but 4 those of u who insist go ahead and waste ur time appropriotte 4 kids my age - yes movie has some blood pop up scary and horrible DON'T WASTE UR TIME!
5


Posted on 07/12/07 by DeagleD Kid contributor, age 12

Best horror of the millenium.

The Descent is the best horror of the 200's so far. I can't speak for the 20th century, i havent seen anything around then. But this is the only recent horror that wasn't just all out gore and no plot. The movie should be rated r, but mostly for the cussing. I have the Unrated and haven't seen the rated r and the UR isn't that bad for an r movie. I'd guess it was just extended, not "containing material to scary for theaters". No big name actors, but great horror with full plot and thrills starting and the cave-ins and ending with the crawlers.
2


Posted on 03/17/07 by misscompetitive Kid contributor, age 12

hate it

i thought this movie was so bd that i had to gop away for a few minutes! there was a ton of blood and it was horible if you are clostrofobic then you should never see this movie and after you see it you will be clostrofobic however my 14 year old brother thought it was the best movie in the world but my cousin and i thought he was being retarted lol well thats what i thought of themovie i gthink no body would like it XD
4


Posted on 02/19/07 by directerdude123 Kid contributor, age 13

0


Posted on 01/24/07 by lafs1684 Kid contributor, age 15

its boring.

I was at my cousins with my sister and her neighbor brought over the unrated version with her and we watched it. we all thought it was confusing and boring we didnt even like know the characters names lol. the only part that like we thought was digusting was when the bone came out of her leg.
5


Posted on 01/23/07 by mark c Kid contributor, age 17

I loved This movie

i rented this movie yesterday i loved it i dont know about the rated version but i rented the unrated it was awsome i loved the way the movie was unpredictable and scary in scense i think it should be for 16 and up i dont think it should be rated NC-17 there is no reason for it its R for the normal and r fits it alot of blood gore bodys getting mangled family looses father and daughter to crash and a pole goes through there dads and babys head u see blood squirt all over
5


Posted on 10/12/06 by finalfear45 Kid contributor, age 13

4


Posted on 08/18/06 by Miss Murder Kid contributor, age 13

Scared The Crap out of me!!

I love this movie. It scared me bigtime. I was a little dissapionted in the end of who lived and who died, but what can you do? I f your scared of blood/gore or scared easily, then this isn't the movie for you. Or if you go climbing in caves. But if love getting scared then it's for you. Some people might not think it was scary others will. And i'm one of the others.
See all 8 kids reviews >
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