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Alex Reid,

Screening - The Descent and Q&A with Director Neil Marshall and Composer David Julyan

The Descent Screening and Q&A with Neil Marshall and David Julyan, Battersea Power Station

I am stoked that a special screening of Neil Marshall’s The Descent and QA is coming to my local cinema to celebrate the vinyl release of David Julyan's score for the film. More, please!

If you missed The Descent on the big screen or a person of good taste wishing to re-watch this tense thriller, this is a great opportunity to see it in an intimate and plush setting and hear from Director Neil Marshall and Composer David Julyan about their respective efforts in making this outstanding film.

The Descent is an outstanding horror film that belies its seemingly simple premise - a diverse group of 6 female friends played by Shauna Macdonald as Sarah, Natalie Mendoza as Juno, Alex Reid as Beth, Saskia Mulder as Rebecca, MyAnna Buring as Sam and Nora-Jane Noone as Holly go into an Appalachian cave and bad things happen. Whoever put this cast together deserves a nod.

Socially ahead of its time, writer and director Neil Marshall let The Descent cast inhabit their characters giving them plausible personality in doing so giving the film credibility, lifting The Descent well above tokenism and most films in the genre, as well as other genres – The Descent is not just a good horror film it’s a good film albeit blood-soaked.

I’m not taking anything away from performances as without the actors' engaging delivery the film would not work as well as it does and post-screening there is a book worth of discussion that could be had about the characters individually and their group dynamic.





I am assuming that Director Neil Marshall needs no introduction as he has gone on to build an all-round body of work but with The Descent he delivers a master class in horror as we descend into a cave system where unspeakable terror awaits.

As the group make their way through the cave system an overwhelming sense of dread and claustrophobia envelope us slowly tightening as it’s aptly enhanced by on the money editing by Jon Harris who went on to direct the sequel, immersive eerie visuals reminiscent of the Italian horror maestros and David Julyan's score which moves from sweeping to spine-tingling as the walls close in.

David Julyan The Descent Soundtrack

On the evening there will be a QA session with Director Neil Marshall and Composer David Julyan hosted by FrightFest co-founder Paul McEvoy. Followed by a screening of The Descent in the intimate and plush surroundings of Battersea Power's Cinema In The Arches should be a fairly immersive experience that will include a collectable The Descent print made especially for the screening.

The Descent Film Poster