The Descent: Smart Horror

When The Descent was first released, I remember hearing people say it was not a good a movie. I can see why they said that, as the story arc is non traditional, but the film was a profound take on a cliche genre. (Note: analysis of Sarah's character arc came from Hedorah)

The film is about a group of friends who reunite on the anniversary of one of their husband's and kid's death, and they plan to go cave diving in the Appalachian Mountains. Only one of the members is quite ambitious and leads them to an "undiscovered" cave system. The opening is somewhat slow, with the friends' personalities being established, but once they get into the caves the movie really picks up. After a few accidents, and some wrong twists and turns, the group of women confront creatures that devour human flesh. These creatures, as the women discover, are the devolved descendants from an original group of cavers who were trapped over a century ago. The really enemy are the girls themselves: as they battle the creatures, they ultimately battle themselves. Some are quick to turn on the others, others abandon their friends, still others make stupid mistakes that endanger the rest of the group.

Sarah, the grieving wife and mother, is the true center of this story. As they descend into the caves, her own mental paranoia and illusions become her reality. In a highly symbolic scene, Sarah emerges from a pool of blood, a baptism into insanity. She hallucinates to the point that when the viewer thinks she has escaped, she merely is resting on a pile of bones. In a touching twist, Sarah's last moments are spend looking at a torch, which she believes to be her daughter: thus mother and daughter are reunited, the fire of her daughter's life guiding her into death.

This movie was genuinely excellent because of its depth. The viewer desperately wants the girls to escape from the caves, but in the end, that never was the point. There is no way out. The film was very realistic, not only in exploring the devolution of the old cavers, but also in showing the downside of humanity. People will turn on you very quickly if it gives them a few extra minutes of life. The gore in this movie wasn't over the top, neither were the thrills and scares. It was this understated horror element that made the film a human drama set against the hell of the cave. The reveal of the creatures for the first time is practically iconic, and will startle even the most serious observer.