As a rule, every year, Sarah and her athletic gal pals take a trip into nature's wilds for an adventure. During a white-water rafting excursion, damaging sexual intrigue develops, and tragedy strikes Sarah and her family. In an attempt to heal old wounds, her friend Juno convinces Sarah and her sister, Kate, to leave Scotland and rejoin the group in the Appalachian Mountains for a cave expedition. After a night of revelry and reminiscing in their mountain cabin, the ladies hit the back roads for a set of unmapped caves discovered by Juno. With all faith placed in their fearless leader, the spelunkers dive into the beautiful depths of the damp caves and commence a journey destined to reveal the true nature of their friendships. What they discover in the cavernous depths will change their lives forever. With an exquisite eye for detail, Neil Marshall has created a rare achievement–a visually splendid horror thriller that delivers a roller-coaster ride of tension and fear. Starring an exceedingly good-looking cast, led by Shauna Macdonald as Sarah and Natalie Mendoza as Juno, The Descent is filled with astonishing cinematography and takes us on a terrifying drop into uncharted territory, one that you may find yourself wanting to take more than once.
On a daredevil caving holiday, six women friends are unexpectedly trapped underground when a rock fall blocks their exit. Searching the maze of tunnels for a way out, they find themselves hunted by a race of fearless, hungry predators, once humanoid but now monstrously adapted to live in the dark…
As the others battle for their lives, Sarah (Macdonald), still recovering from a mental collapse brought on by the recent deaths of her family, is fighting for her sanity. When old secrets are revealed, the friends turn on one another, causing the group to implode. Betrayed and desperate, Sarah realizes that to make it back to the surface, she must become as savage as the creatures themselves.
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THE DESCENT is Neil Marshall’s hotly anticipated follow up to his 2002 hit DOG SOLDIERS. Directed by Marshall from his own script, it tells the story of an all-female caving expedition that goes horribly wrong, and stars Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder, Nora-Jane Noone and Myanna Buring. Set in a cave system deep in the Appalachian Mountains, Marshall describes his film as ‘DELIVERANCE goes underground’.
On a daredevil caving holiday, six women friends are unexpectedly trapped underground when a rock fall blocks their exit. Searching the maze of tunnels for a way out, they find themselves hunted by a race of fearless, hungry predators, once humanoid but now monstrously adapted to live in the dark…
As the others battle for their lives, Sarah (Macdonald), still recovering from a mental collapse brought on by the recent deaths of her family, is fighting for her sanity. When old secrets are revealed, the friends turn on one another, causing the group to implode. Betrayed and desperate, Sarah realizes that to make it back to the surface, she must become as savage as the creatures themselves.
THE DESCENT was filmed on location in Scotland and at Pinewood Studios from December 2004 to February 2005, and was fully financed and produced by Celador Films. Celador’s Paul Smith is executive producer and Christian Colson is producer. The film reunites Marshall with DOG SOLDIERS’ director of photography, Sam McCurdy, and production designer, Simon Bowles. Celador’s previous credits include the Oscar-nominated DIRTY PRETTY THINGS.
THE DESCENT movie has already had a hugely successful release both critically and commercially in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. In September, 2005 the film took the top competition prize -- the Méliès d’Argent -- for Euro feature at Lund International Fantastic Film Festival in Sweden, and in November, Neil Marshall won Best Director and the film Best Technical Achievement (for the Editing) at the British Independent Films Awards (BIFA's) (THE DESCENT was nominated for Best Film). It has also been nominated for Best British Film, Best British Director and Best British Producer by the London Film Critics Circle (the winners are announced in February), an unheard of achievement for a genre piece.
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