The Descent: Part 2 (2009)
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A traumatized survivor of a cave expedition joins a rescue team to find her missing friends, only to be hunted by subterranean monsters.
The story
Two days after six women disappeared in an uncharted cave system, a traumatized and amnesiac Sarah is taken to a hospital. Sheriff Vaines and his deputy Rios, accompanied by three cave specialists, lead a rescue mission into the caves via an old mine shaft. Upon entering, the group discovers evidence of a struggle and the corpse of one of the missing women. As they navigate the tunnels, Sarah experiences flashbacks and eventually attacks the rescue team before fleeing into the darkness. The group is soon forced to navigate a treacherous environment where they realize they are being hunted by blind, sound-sensitive creatures known as crawlers.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Two days after six women disappeared in an uncharted cave system, a traumatized and amnesiac Sarah is taken to a hospital. Sheriff Vaines and his deputy Rios lead a rescue team of three specialists into the cave via an old mine shaft. They find Rebecca's corpse, triggering Sarah's flashbacks, before she attacks the team and flees. The team splits up; a cave collapse traps Cath, while the others find a video camera revealing the women were attacked by 'crawlers.' Sarah regains her memories and saves Rios from the blind monsters. Cath escapes her predicament but is killed after screaming for Greg, who sacrificed himself to save her. Sarah and Rios eventually reunite with Juno, who is alive but furious at Sarah for abandoning her. Juno leads them to a feeding pit, where Vaines is forced to sacrifice his hand to save Sarah from falling. In a final confrontation, the group is blocked by a large crawler leader. Greg reappears as a dying distraction, leading to a final battle where Sarah kills the leader but Juno dies in her arms. Rios escapes, only to be captured by the old man, Ed, who leaves her at the entrance as a crawler emerges.
- First release year
- 2009
- Runtime (minutes)
- 93
- Production countries
- United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jon Harris
- Writers
- James McCarthy · screenplay; J Blakeson · screenplay; James Watkins · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Shauna Macdonald · Sarah; Natalie Mendoza; Douglas Hodge; Krysten Cummings; Gavan O'Herlihy; Josh Dallas; Anna Skellern
- Genres
- adventure horror; fantasy; monster; thriller
- Themes
- Claustrophobia; Trauma; Survival
- Tone and mood
- Tense; Claustrophobic; Bleak
- Premise and plot tags
- Sequel; Monster Movie; Survival Horror; Buddy Film
- Franchise connections
- The Descent
- Content notes
- Blood
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its tension and emotional depth while others criticized its lack of nuance compared to the original. It was a commercial success in some international markets but underperformed in the UK.
- Reported review scores
- The Telegraph · score: 3/5
- Production trivia
- The film was shot at Ealing Studios and on location at Bourne Woods.; The editor of the first film, Jon Harris, was brought on to direct and edit the sequel.; Neil Marshall, the director of the first film, was an executive producer but did not direct the sequel.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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