The Descent

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The Descent

R

2006

1h 39m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

Adventure

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

187 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

A year after a severe emotional trauma, Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) goes to North Carolina to spend some time exploring caves with her friends; after descending underground, the women find strange cave paintings and evidence of an earlier expedition, then learn they are not alone: Underground predators inhabit the crevasses, and they have a taste for human flesh.

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Critics Consensus

Deft direction and strong performances from its all-female cast guide The Descent, a riveting, claustrophobic horror film.

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Alyx Vesey

Bitch Media

01/07/2021

While I think we should question the authority of the ubiquitous male writer-director to shape horror productions, I think Marshall does a good job representing his female characters.

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Sarah Lilleyman

TIME Magazine

10/15/2008

Marshall could very well be the Caravaggio of the B-movie.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

09/24/2007

This intermittently effective UK horror thriller carefully establishes the psychological relationships among the women, then squanders this calibrated and generally plausible setup with a series of crude, implausible, and scattershot horror effects.

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Bryce Hanson

Horror Movie Talk

Sep 23

10/10

This is a fantastic horror movie that hits a lot of different beats of horror. It deals out claustrophobia, dread, jump scares, interpersonal drama, all while passing the Bechdel test. A rare accomplishment in any horror film.

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Akos Peterbencze

The Screen

10/31/2024

In Neil Marshall’s 2005 horror masterpiece, darkness emerges as a living organism. It shifts and lurks and claws its way into our nerves, under our skin, and eventually, inside our heads.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

08/19/2023

... a film stripped to bloody basics, a ferocious and taut exercise in action horror that recalls early James Cameron, with more gore and less sentimentality.

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Taylor

Oct 12

The Descent scares from the first to last scene. Claustrophobic and nauseating in the best way.

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Mary T

Nov 30

Great movie! Saw the 2nd another great! Waiting for the 3rd!!!!!

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Don V

Nov 29

A caving expedition goes horribly wrong, as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators. It's terrifying and I'll never watch it again as nerves couldn't handle it, but it is bloody brilliant

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Justin W

@Loonsan Nov 23

Trauma in a tight & black hole will scare your pants off for sure. A bunch of naïve chicks running around full of drama and a heavy dose of stupidity, perfect recipe for some cheap scares. Hey, as long as it works...

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Ryan H

Nov 22

One of the best survival horror films of all time. Great scares, thrills, gore and action. No horror fan should miss out on this gem!

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Jack F

@MovieFan111 Nov 20

If your a horror fan, and haven't heard of or seen this movie, watch it right now. It's different and unique, which is just what we need nowadays. I thought it was great.

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Neil Marshall

Director

Shauna Macdonald

Sarah

Natalie Mendoza

Juno

Alex Reid

Beth

Saskia Mulder

Rebecca

Nora Jane Noone

Holly

The Descent: Official Clip - Sudden Death

2:02

The Descent: Official Clip - Words of Warning

2:18

The Descent: Official Clip - The Creature Looks Human

2:46

The Descent: Official Clip - Blood Bath

2:28

The Descent: Official Clip - Holly's Death

2:10

The Descent: Official Clip - Fighting Back

2:13

The Descent: Official Clip - A Rock and a Hard Place

2:15

The Descent: Official Clip - If We Stay Here, We'll Die

2:01

The Descent: Official Clip - Juno's Descent

2:13

The Descent: Official Clip - The Killing Floor

2:08

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Synopsis

A year after a severe emotional trauma, Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) goes to North Carolina to spend some time exploring caves with her friends; after descending underground, the women find strange cave paintings and evidence of an earlier expedition, then learn they are not alone: Underground predators inhabit the crevasses, and they have a taste for human flesh.

Director: Neil Marshall
Producer: Christian Colson
Screenwriter: Neil Marshall
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: Celador Productions, Lionsgate Television
Rating: R (Strong Violence and Gore|Language)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 4, 2006, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $26.0M
Runtime: 1h 39m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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