I recently watch the Descent at a local theater with a friend. It is both gory and vicious, yet there is something surprisingly subtle about it when compared to the usual shock glare of House of 1,000 Corpses or The Hills Have Eyes (2006). The premise is simple, but the execution is superb for once. I thought it was freaky before any monster came onto the screen, luring you into a sense of all around insecurity before taking off the kid gloves.
The only problem about this movie is the part that I should not probably talk about -the ending. I heard they re-shot for American audiences, as the other ending was too depressing. As soon as I heard that bit of information I was prepared for the worst, and I may have wrong about that. The movie makes a couple of hard choices at the end, but I saw the original ending on You Tube and was pleased with the version I saw. Although the "final scare" cheepens the movie, and consequently is confusing at best. I enjoy the idea that someone got out of the hole; I did not enjoy what may be haunting them. I'd have been happy with just a fade out on a peaceful ride through the country. Ending aside, it is definitely worth seeing, if you're into that sort of thing, because it is still smarter, better and more effective than so many others.