Rosario Dawson, Chad Faust, Marcus Patrick

In "Descent," acclaimed actress Rosario Dawson plays the most controversial character of her career: a promising college student who becomes bent on seeking revenge after a shocking act of sexual viol...( read more  read more... )ence is committed against her. The feature debut of co-writer/director/producer Talia Lugacy, "Descent" is a film that unnervingly tackles some of the country’s most taboo subjects. An official selection of the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival, where it had its world premiere, "Descent," is an unforgettable tale of innocence shattered, dreams destroyed, and vengeance fulfilled, featuring a shattering, career-defining performance from Dawson.

Flixster Users

41% liked it

3,234 ratings

Critics

23% liked it

26 critics

R, 1 hr. 50 min.

Directed by: Talia Lugacy

Release Date: August 10, 2007

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DVD Release Date: February 5, 2008

Stats: 355 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (355)


  • July 6, 2008
    Plot Spoilers Necessarily Throughout This Review
    I saw this movie by accident, thinking I had downloaded "The Descent", the horror movie about creatures attacking a group of cave climbers/campers who are all college age girls. So even through, the first rape scene, I thought...( read more), this is just another crappy B horror movie trying to start off by being "edgy", so I kept watching through Dawson's character waking up in the dilapidated drug house, thinking to myself "yeah this is probably just a drama and if it is not, it's a tacky convention to parallel *this* parabolic descent story with some creature-killin-in-caves and her redeeming herself by killing creatures, so she better torture that lil football poofter".
    Problem is, I don't think this is that great of a performance from Dawson, just because you do a rape movie doesn't make your career.
    And the movie fails on its point, because call me fucked up, but I enjoyed the revenge rape scene. Yup I don't mind some stuck up jock getting his ass split and kind of liking it, so for me that totally washes out the scene of Dawson's character getting raped. Compare this film to "O Fantasma", a real art-house movie that also includes plotted homosexual rape, and you will see that "Descent" cannot compare when it comes to depicting a character sliding into an amoral and degraded existence, which is ultimately the point of this movie, not all the graphic rape bookending the fall, but those are really the only compelling moments, which is never good for a director to say, "well at least it's got good rape scenes". So sadly that means the whole middle of the movie could have been gutted, so next time this director wants to do an effective feature, they may want to consider a rewrite to make sure there is sufficient material to cover it, instead of duping me into watching a piece that is seventy minutes too long.

    "So Fucked Up" highlight: using a bedpost to get the anal rape started, that I was aroused by the muscley latin guy revenge raping the frat twat
  • April 19, 2008
    Now, here's an interesting movie with a very sensitive issue at hand. An occurance that happens too often in this world. Rosario Dawson is definitely remarkable, it's very interesting to see her take on more diverse roles. Worth seeing!
  • November 19, 2009
    A bit strong to watch for straght people, but he had it comming!!!!!!
  • November 9, 2009
    Pretty twisted karma that prick got!
  • September 14, 2009
    This movie is just plain awful.I got this one because I like Rosario Dawson.Avoid it at all costs.
  • July 7, 2009
    WTF! This movie was disturbing. It lagged in some places and was a little confusing. I think that it could have been edited better. Also they could have added more material that drove the store in the right direction.

    Better luck next time, Talia.
  • June 4, 2009
    Some of the parts were a little disturbing so it's not for everyone. The acting was just so good.
  • March 1, 2009
    this movie is kind of sick and twisted but, in a way it is revenge that settles everyhting.
  • January 24, 2009
    Well, I like Rosario Dawson's work, her acting is usually very good and so I rented this after seeing it on the 'horror' section and reading that her performance here was the most powerful of her career... I was intrigued and I had seen the DVD for a while on the racks, and it wa...( read more)s in pretty high demand so I thought: 'Hey! I must watch this...!" Hmm... it was pretty boring... it started pretty well, but then it went to the rape scene and it was well done, but after that everything went downhill...One asumes that she is depressed and that's why she starts going to clubs and whatnot, and one asumes that she has talked to the bisexual friend of hers about raping her rapist, but one is not told anything. The last raping scene wasn't as shocking as I thought it was gonna be, yeah it was disturbing but it wasn't as horrible as it could've been, it could've been messier... In fact, I actually enjoyed both scenes, the first one was pretty sexy and the last one was pretty funny in the beginning. The movie as a movie is pretty average... below average actually, there's no solid development, we don't know why this three major characters are the way they are, there is no background to them and that's always an issue with me... Dawson's performance was good, believable, but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary, i mean just 'cuz she did a rape scene it doesn't mean that she has proved herself entirely, I actually was more impressed with heron 'Sin City' and definitely more on 'A Guide to Recognizing our Saints'.

    (Yes I am a fucked up being...lol)
  • December 29, 2008
    Yawn! Bloody dull and sicko R-rated drama I ever saw about the exact revenge of a date-raped co-ed. I couldn't stand and watch the final scene of co-ed's revenge upon her attacker.

Critic Reviews


August 10, 2007
Kyle Smith, New York Post

Look-at-me-I'm-a-filmmaker photography, pacing that has all the thrills of waiting in line at the post office and an utterly predictable plot combine to make the movie even worse than the hacky chick ... full review

View more Descent reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • Shaqswife
    December 14, 2008
    This movie was dark and very disturbing.I could barely stomach it especially the sick ending. Don't waste your energy on this one.
  • InfamousHu
    June 17, 2007
    Okay people before you write a review of this film ... This ISNT The Descent its only DESCENT, totally a different movie and it hasnt come out yet.

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Descent Trivia


  • In which movie six girls go into a cave and get trapped and meet predators?  Answer »
  • Which of the following movies has Wes Craven NOT directed?  Answer »
  • In what horror movie did a girl named Juno lead her friends into an undiscovered cave without telling them?  Answer »
  • Which of the following celebrities is not of Chinese descent?  Answer »

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