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The Descent

(2006, Rated R, Horror, Starring Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 17, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 17.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    A scary gorefest underground. Not for kids.

Why We Rated This not for kids

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

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

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

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

What Parents Need to Know

About The Descent

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.

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Families Can Talk About

  • 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?

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Washington
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    Very Gorey and Scarey no kids under 12

    Extreme Gore!!! Not for the faint of heart! Amazing Movie though! Very scary and Jumpy! =O

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    Lives in Connecticut
    I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in California
    I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it 5.0

    a must see for horror fans

    i saw it in the theater with my dad the first day it opened and both for us were amazed. finally a horror movie that is not a remake and is the perfect horror movie. see the unrated version because the ending to the theater cut the ending does not make any sense.

  4. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in Illinois
    I rate this title iffy for age 17 and give it 5.0

    The descent is a fantastic and brutal thriller

    Sex/Nudity: A brief sexual joke about an orgasm. Violence/Scariness: Plenty of graphic and grotesque imagery. Most of the violence consists of the crawlers that eat the people's intestines and throw them up. In one scene, a girl hits her leg on something and her bone is seen popping out. Plenty of gruesome violence throughout. Profanity: Around 44 f words, scatological and anatomical terms, 1 sexual reference, some religious exclamations, name-calling (selfish cow), and mild obscenities.

  5. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Maryland
    I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 5.0

  6. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Hawaii
    I rate this title on for age 17 and give it 3.0

  7. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Missouri
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 0.0

    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!

  8. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Alabama
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 5.0

    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.

  9. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Virginia
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0

    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!

  10. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title off for age 2 and give it 2.0

    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

  11. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 4.0

  12. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in New Jersey
    I rate this title off for age 2 and give it 5.0

    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

  13. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    Lives in Virginia
    I rate this title off for age 2 and give it 0.0

    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.

  14. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in North Carolina
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 5.0

    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

  15. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Ohio
    I rate this title iffy for age 17 and give it 4.0

    Very good horror movie with a ton of blood and gore

  16. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in Arizona
    I rate this title off for age 2 and give it 5.0

  17. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 4.0

    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.

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