The Descent

The Descent is a 2005 British horror film written and directed by Neil Marshall. The film follows six women who, having entered an unmapped cave system, become trapped and are hunted by troglofaunal flesh-eating humanoids.

Filming took place in the United Kingdom. Exterior scenes were filmed at Ashridge Park, Buckinghamshire/Hertfordshire. Because the filmmakers considered it too dangerous and time-consuming to shoot in an actual cave, interior scenes were filmed on sets built at Pinewood Studios near London. The Descent opened commercially 8 July 2005 in the United Kingdom. It premiered in the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and opened commercially on 4 August 2006 in the United States.

A sequel, titled The Descent Part 2, was released in 2009 and depicts events that take place two days after the end of the original film. It was successful, earning twice as much as the film's budget; however, not as much as the original and was not as favorably reviewed.

Plot

Juno (Natalie Mendoza), Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) and Beth (Alex Reid) are whitewater rafting in Scotland. Sarah's husband Paul (Oliver Milburn) and their daughter Jessica (Molly Kayll) wave and cheer from the bank. Juno is seen talking intimately with Paul by Beth. On the drive back to their hotel, Paul gets distracted, causing a collision. Paul and Jessica are killed, but Sarah survives.