Parents' Guide to

The Descent

By Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

A scary gorefest underground. Not for kids.

Movie R 2006 99 minutes
The Descent Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 16+

Based on 10 parent reviews

doctora
doctora Parent of 6-year-old
November 6, 2022
age 18+

Refreshing in its storytelling although ultimately a gorfest

This was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. The reviews were strong for this film, but I still feared that it would not be to my liking. I am not into gore or horror films, but this film hooks you in. It knows how to ratchet up the tension and although I would not recommend it for someone who does not like gore I think it is a very suitable film for someone who enjoys suspense. Yes, they get a little excited with the gore, but the narrative has been so strong up to that point that you are willing to go with it. A well structured film that has a few twists on some tried and true genre tropes.
Aaron C.
Aaron C. Parent
September 10, 2020
age 18+

Claustrophobic Horror Masterpiece

The descent is a masterclass movie, that slowly makes the charecters in the movie, as well as the audience descent into horrific madness. Extreme gorefest, to the point it's downright gross. Excellent watch. Gem of a Horror movie. The performances & set pieces are incredible. Hatsoff to the cast & crew.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 10 parent reviews

What's the Story?

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?

Our review:
Parents say (10):
Kids say (32):

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.

Talk to Your Kids 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?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate