Often made on the cheap with a cast of unknowns, production companies see Horror films as low-risk investments. You can never tell by reading the screenplay if a horror film will be scary. Most of them have the potential to be scary, but a good scare really depends on timing. It’s when the camera angle, the editing, the sound and the music all come together to transform what’s on the page into something terrifying. The sad truth is most horror films are not scary. Not even close. Oh, they might get lucky with a jump here or there, but a film that can sustain tension over 90+ minutes almost deserves a Special Oscar.
Writer/Director Neil Marshall’s previous film, Dog Soldiers, was a simple military vs. warewolves picture, made with almost no money. Acclaimed in the UK, it never got a proper theatrical release in the U.S.. Dog Soldiers is hampered by its budget and a wildly uneven script, but it’s entertaining and will come up early next year. With The Descent, Marshall more than fulfilled his potential. It is one of those rare moments when the elements come together and a horror film scares even the most jaded of viewers. Let me say it again, The Descent will scare you. This is the kind of film experience I dream about, where I’m screaming (and sometimes cursing) out loud. I once looked to the people sitting next to me and they looked at me, not believing what just happened. I would even laugh after screaming because I had to have that release.
Marshall shows confidence in his design by not throwing the creature at us right up front. The bulk of the movie is a highly tense mountain climbing film. With each obstacle, his script brings on the claustrophobia, escalates the tension, and throws personal conflicts at our characters. By the time the creature element is introduced, the film is already working just fine. The final third is a trip into full gore horror, and it may lose some people, though the transition here is much smoother than the abrupt change of From Dusk Till Dawn.
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