Neil Docking

WITH fond memories of pothole expeditions and caving from my youth, British horror film The Descent was very appealing. A couple of hours later and I may not be venturing down into the dark anytime soon.

The Descent focuses on an all-female caving expedition, led by Juno (Natalie Mendoza) and her friend Sam (MyAnna Buring) who is recovering from the shocking loss of both husband and daughter in a violent car crash.

The group's relationships are obviously strained, with a suspicious resentment between Juno and Sam and the insinuation that Juno was cheating on her friend.

The film is directed by Newcastle's Neil Marshall, drawing on his experience from his werewolf horror flick Dog Soldiers, which was also filmed in Scotland.

Set in beautiful woodland, the group decamp to a huge cavern (minus their cave guide of course) passing a badly mutilated stag on the way ...

Predictably the trip goes horribly wrong,as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators.

The darkly-lit, waterlogged caves are the perfect backdrop for the feast of bloodthirsty carnage that ensues.

This is an expertly filmed battle for survival, which retains some of the humour from Dog Soldiers, but in the most part is a gripping and downright petrifying gore-fest.

Expertly deployed lighting, animalistic but worryingly human monsters that avoid the comic portrayal of some horror films and the growing sense that the group are just as afraid of each other, combine to create a creepy and tense atmosphere.

There are some genuinely brilliant moments, notably the use of a night-vision camcorder that far eclipses that of The Blair Witch Project and some innovative and wonderful use of lighting.

Not being an avid fan of horror, the film is still one of the bloodiest I can recall and has so many 'make you jump' moments to satisfy all but the most critical (or weak of stomach) cinema audiences.

8/10 A sickening, bone-splitting, carnal, bloodbath. Wonderful.