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The Descent

Play trailer Poster for The Descent R Released Aug 4, 2006 1h 39m Horror Mystery & Thriller Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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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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The Descent

The Descent

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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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Critics Reviews

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Alyx Vesey Bitch Media 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. Jan 7, 2021 Full Review Sarah Lilleyman TIME Magazine Marshall could very well be the Caravaggio of the B-movie. Oct 15, 2008 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader 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. Sep 24, 2007 Full Review Akos Peterbencze The Screen 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. Oct 31, 2024 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand ... 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. Aug 19, 2023 Full Review Stephanie Archer Film Inquiry The Descent falls into a long line of horrors preying on the visceral fears of audiences, cleverly bringing these terrors to the surface in a film that is at times hard to watch and experience. Jul 29, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Andrew D At the time, we needed something different and The Descent got us there. Just the claustrophobic atmosphere itself adds something that’s been missing in the horror genre for a long time. Nothing really new in the cave dwelling monsters themselves, but it all comes together as a classic worth watching. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/06/25 Full Review Ben H Best seen on big screen! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/29/25 Full Review Joel P I am A very jaded horror movie fan. This movie scared the hell out of me. Terrifying. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/29/25 Full Review Carrie M. Such a great movie! It’s a movie you’d watch more than just one time! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/28/25 Full Review Sarah M One of my favourite horror movies Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/22/25 Full Review Zeferino P. It has enough gore and scares to satisfy any horror fan. It is enjoyable to watch, but not something I’d watch over and over again,, not to say it’s a one and done, but once every couple of years. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/21/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Descent

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The Descent

The Descent: Official Clip - Sudden Death The Descent: Official Clip - Sudden Death 2:02 The Descent: Official Clip - Words of Warning The Descent: Official Clip - Words of Warning 2:18 The Descent: Official Clip - The Creature Looks Human The Descent: Official Clip - The Creature Looks Human 2:46 The Descent: Official Clip - Blood Bath The Descent: Official Clip - Blood Bath 2:28 The Descent: Official Clip - Holly's Death The Descent: Official Clip - Holly's Death 2:10 The Descent: Official Clip - Fighting Back The Descent: Official Clip - Fighting Back 2:13 The Descent: Official Clip - A Rock and a Hard Place The Descent: Official Clip - A Rock and a Hard Place 2:15 The Descent: Official Clip - If We Stay Here, We'll Die The Descent: Official Clip - If We Stay Here, We'll Die 2:01 The Descent: Official Clip - Juno's Descent The Descent: Official Clip - Juno's Descent 2:13 The Descent: Official Clip - The Killing Floor The Descent: Official Clip - The Killing Floor 2:08 View more videos
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Movie Info

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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