The “remarkable” British horror movie that stunned Stephen King
In addition to being one of the most prolific and bestselling authors of all time, Stephen King is something of an authority on the entire genre of horror and is particularly adept when it comes to critiquing horror cinema. As a creative known for writing novels, it is perhaps easier and more credible territory to analyse movies rather than the works of other authors.
King himself has had dozens of his books adapted into movies, many of which are landmark instalments of the horror genre in themselves. Brian De Palma’s Carrie, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, and Rob Reiner’s Misery are just some of the movies based on his work, and no matter how King feels about some of those adaptations, his writing has proven to be endlessly inspiring for some of the most respected directors of all time.
King could write multiple books analysing various adaptations of his own work, but instead, he’s written extensively about the horror genre more broadly. His 1981 book Danse Macabre is the best example, featuring a lengthy exploration of horror in print, television, film, comic books, and even radio. In the 2010 edition of the book, the author delved even deeper into what actually makes a movie scary, highlighting some of the recent entries into the genre that he has found particularly groundbreaking and original.
In one passage, he highlights the 2005 breakout British hit, The Descent, saying, “If I were to pick another movie to analyse closely, it would be this remarkable story of six women who go on a caving expedition and encounter a race of subhumans (who resemble del Toro’s Pale Man, now that I think about it). What gives the movie its resonance is how the women play against each other — their very real resentments (and secrets) allow us to believe the monsters in a way that most horror movies do not”.
He added: “I never tire of saying this: In successful creepshows, it’s not the FX, and mostly not even the monsters, that scare us. If we invest in the people, we invest in the movie… and in our own essential decency.”
Directed by Neil Marshall, The Descent centres on Sarah (Shauna Macdonald), who is healing from the grief of the sudden, tragic loss of her husband and daughter. Her pain and the increasingly strained relationships with her companions are the driving force of the film, even as the monsters close in. It was this emotional horror coupled with clever practical effects and the inherent claustrophobia of the setting that allowed this £3.5million production to rake in over $57m at the box office and be proven by science to be one of the scariest movies ever made.
It is also unflinching in its horrifying ending—so unflinching, in fact, that the American distributors took out their metaphorical scissors and cut the final minutes of the film, effectively turning a hallucination into reality. Not surprisingly, Marshall wasn’t thrilled about the change, saying that his original cut was a happier ending for Sarah, even if it wasn’t for the audience. If you have the pleasure (and extreme discomfort) of watching the film, make sure to see the uncut version.
