The Descent
Director: Neil Marshall
Year Released: 2005
Rating: 2.0
Several adventurous women - who refused to stay in the kitchen where they belonged - go, for fun, cave exploring in North Carolina, only to discover that there are creatures down there that look like Gollum from Lord of the Rings who survive by feasting on humans. The use of darkness to heighten the intensity of the 'boo moments' is straight out of Aliens - a common reference point - but I was largely unimpressed with the stodgy beginning (which does a mediocre job of introducing the characters) and (especially) the nihilistic ending, which, if the movie is intended to be taken on any kind of symbolic level (the cave representing the lead character's confronting her own demons, only to be 'reborn'), completely negates itself. The most effective place to see this popcorn thriller is in a crowded theater - what impact it does have will be lost on a small screen.
