Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Descent’

Written by Scott Edwards

Maintaining friendships takes a lifetime to do, but it also gives you a lifetime of enjoyment. While you may not always see eye to eye on everything, when you need your pals the most, they will usually be there for you. But what happens when they turn tail and run from you when you need them most? Do you forgive and forget because they were afraid of the situation, or do you hold it against them for not performing their duties as friend? There may not be a perfect answer for this, but if you want to keep them in your life, you must be honest with the hurt that they brought you, as communication is key to any type of relationship.
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Thrill seeking friends Sarah, Juno and Beth are at it again making it down the white rapids with relative ease. Loving the rush that it gives them, spending time together is what means the most to them and the good times will never end. Waiting at the rapids, Sarah’s husband and daughter anxiously wait for her to arrive so they can head home before the night closes in. But during the drive home, Sarah has a life changing event as her family is taken away from her in one fell swoop and she has no idea how she will be moving on.

A year has passed, and Sarah is back on her feet with her best friend Beth who has never left her side.  Arriving in the Appalachian Mountains for their next adventure that Juno has set up, the women are ready to reunite for their yearly get-together. Meeting up in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, friends Juno, Rebecca, Sam and Holly reminisce over old times and how much fun they had together. But there is some tension arising between Juno and the rest of the group since she left Sarah in her greatest time of need. Letting the past be the past however, Sarah is ready for the next adventure and cave diving seems to be something that all of the women are looking forward to.

Arriving at their destination, the women see a hole in the ground that they did not expect, but Juno seems to know exactly what she is doing. Heading down into the cave system, the women take in the sights, but have no idea what this journey has in store for them. Heading deeper and deeper into the caverns, Sarah suffers the first set back in the adventure when she gets stuck. Being able to move again before the rocks come loose and cause a cave in, the women find out that they are not where they thought they were, and Juno has taken them into an unexplored cavern system. But rather than panic, the group moves on in order find a way out and finds that this is no walk in the park. Seeing what appears to be light at the end of the tunnel, Holly sprints ahead of the group and winds up falling into a pit but getting her out will be the first of many problems that the women encounter as they quickly find out that they are not alone in the darkness.

Talk about a movie that does not pull any punches the deeper into the caverns you get. While the issue of being stuck underground takes the forefront in the story, followed by the underground dwellers hunting for their next meal, you also have to deal with the distrust that Juno is facing on many levels. Being in charge of the expedition, everything falls on her shoulders as the women are forced to fight for their lives in a cave that appears to have never let anyone escape. From the first time I watched this movie when it came out to now, the narrative still stands true and I am happy I watched it again, because damn, it is really a staple for any horror fan. With a cave, some good friends, delightful banter, a cave in, some cave paintings, not enough rope and creepy cave inhabitants, this story is just a step away from hell on earth. It might not be a movie for those who are a little squeamish when it comes to blood and eating people, but it features a great story about trust and friendship foundations. Stay Scared. 

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