For the past quarter century, trends in horror have come and gone. From the torture porn movement of the early aughts to found footage and legacy sequels, the genre has seen its share of renewal and rebirth. But as noteworthy movies come and go, few titles have retained the power to terrify and inspire like Neil Marshall’s The Descent.

First premiering in 2005, this British film is a claustrophobic nightmare following cavers besieged by a clan of humanoid monsters. Part slasher, part creature feature, Marshall’s sophomore outing still packs a harrowing punch and arguably sparked a trend of cinematic allegories for mental illness that would dominate horror in the late 2010s. Now two decades later, Marshall and author Janine Pipe descend into the midst of this singular story to uncover the secrets of its creation with a coffee table book from Telos Publishing. From interviews with the cast and crew to reflections from notable genre names, The Making of The Descent reads like a behind-the-scenes featurette, allowing us to peer behind the blood-soaked curtain and experience the terror like never before.

Structured like a ghoulish sandwich, the book begins with a quote from Master of Horror, Stephen King, immediately establishing genre cred. Marshall and Pipe both provide intimate introductions, detailing how the film has changed their lives with Marshall recounting early stages of production. We conclude with testimonials about the movie’s unique power from leading names in horror journalism alongside comments from prominent social media accounts. But the heart of this captivating book is a chronological deep dive through the film itself. Pipe guides us through a veritable rewatch, seamlessly weaving her own relatable commentary with new and exclusive factoids, reflections, and anecdotes from cast, crew, and genre fans.

While reminiscing about their harrowing first watches, many describe an overwhelming sense of claustrophobia sparked by unrelenting cave sequences. With on-location filming too dangerous to consider, production manager Simon Bowles and construction manager Jono Moles explain the design and creation of each jaw-dropping set piece built in London’s Pinewood Studios. Lit entirely from diegetic sources, Sam McCurdy’s cinematography plunges us into the darkness in tandem with the six frightened cavers. While unnerving, the experience of navigating this mysterious cave system allows little time—or light—to admire these extensive faux environments. Thankfully, a series of behind-the-scenes images and planning diagrams reveal each one in full detail. We’re able to gaze in awe at these intricate sets that most of us assumed were actual caves.  

Notable for its nerve-shattering scares and omnipresent sense of dread, The Descent is perhaps best known for its unique casting. Save for a brief appearance by a doomed husband, each human character is a fully drawn woman with complex motivations. Sarah (Shauna Macdonald), Beth (Alex Reid), Sam (MyAnna Buring), Juno (Natalie Mendoza), Holly (Nora-Jane Noone), and Rebecca (Saskia Mulder) are at times villainous and virtuous, shifting their relationships as the plot unfolds. After naming Marshall’s impressive crew, Pipe introduces each cast member with a brief summary of how they landed their role. Hailing from six different nations, we learn about how the relatively unknown actors got to know each other on a potholing excursion to Giant’s Hole near Castleton in Derbyshire and training sessions at a London rock-climbing gym. However, the cinematic cavers truly bonded on a white water rafting trip to Pitlochry, Scotland. The sight of the film’s opening sequence, this excursion allowed the cast to discuss their characters with each other and build genuine camaraderie that can be felt in each destabilizing frame. 

As Pipe guides us through the The Descent’s 99 minute runtime, we’re treated to exclusive insights on characterization and the experience of filming some of the plot’s most notorious scenes. Noone details Holly’s upsetting plunge down a dark, rocky hole and the gnarly fracture that sidelines her character. The first to die, on-set photos show her playfully regarding her prosthetic double designed to be mangled by a horde of bloodthirsty creatures. Macdonald remembers fleshing out Beth’s devastating death scene with Reid over pints of Guinness—and the resulting hangover colliding with her 4:00 a.m. makeup call—while Marshall unpacks the film’s controversial US ending and multiple fan theories about Sarah’s mental state.

But the most fascinating tidbits come from Mendoza who provides a unique perspective on the vilified Juno. This duplicitous overachiever is easy to hate for deceiving her friends and sleeping with Sarah’s husband. In order to bring this outsized character to life, Marshall allowed Mendoza to fill in the details of Juno’s backstory and the origin of her affair with Paul (Oliver Milburn). Not intended to excuse the adventurous woman’s damaging choices, Mendoza clearly has affection for Juno and sees her as a misunderstood friend forced to navigate her own substantial grief alone. She walks us through the jaw-dropping sequence in which Juno battles a Crawler to save Holly’s life then accidentally causes the death of her friend. Describing this turn of events as, “a gift for an actor,” Mendoza explains Juno’s admittedly self-serving motivations with empathy and compassion. 

On the other side of this horrific equation stand—or crouch—the cave’s malformed Crawlers. Cheeky quotes from actors Craig Conway (Scar, Lead Crawler) and Les Simpson (Crawler) detail the painstaking process of transforming into these cannibalistic nightmares. In addition to shaving every inch of their body, each day of filming involved tucking their “bits” into a makeshift harness followed by hours spent in a makeup assembly line, moving from station to station to build out the hideous look. We also learn about abrasions the nearly nude actor (Steve Lamb) suffered while performing an intricate fight with Mendoza (Juno) on a set littered with coarse industrial sand. These impressive performers discuss the unique challenges of their monstrous turns with endearing candor and honesty. 

While discussing Sarah’s own transformation, Marshall reveals a game-changing story element hiding in plain sight. After brutally dispatching her best friend and emotional lifeline, Sarah fights to the death with a diminutive Crawler. The writer/director proudly points out that this doomed being is a child of the clan, played by an actor named Justin Hackney who had previously appeared in 28 Days Later. Sarah follows this disturbing battle by killing the child’s horrified mother—a showdown between two women grieving the loss of a child.

Though eagle-eyed viewers perhaps pick this up, the details of Sarah’s transformative turn largely go unnoticed amidst the story’s palpable dread. Yet this singular moment of layered emotion perfectly encapsulates a film that hits home in many ways. While some are drawn to Macdonald’s empathetic depiction of PTSD, others find inspiration in Juno and a disparate cast of empowered female characters. Still others celebrate the Crawlers’ ferocious power while many more squirm with the experience of intense claustrophobia. The Making of The Descent highlights Marshall’s ability to seamlessly weave each element together while maintaining outright horror as the driving force. With clear reverence for this monumental film, Pipe and Marshall guide us in exploring The Descent and its many secrets lurking in the eerie darkness.

The Making of the Descent is now available from Telos Publishing.

4 out of 5 skulls