While I understand the appeal, and in certain cases the necessity of the activity. I never felt the appeal of potholing (or spelunking) myself. Exploring sharp, cold and dark rooms; not exactly conditions that the human body would thrive in. This unease is expertly demonstrated in 2005 when a British film, full of survival/psychological horror called The Descent, capitalised on those fears to earn critical praise. In 2009 a sequel was commissioned, and those same cave systems became the host for some new nightmares in The Descent Part 2.

Sarah has survived her ordeal from the first film, though has little memory of what happened to her or her friends. The local authorities are unconvinced about the fate of the other cave dwellers. They conscript Sarah to go back to the network and help them piece together what is going on. Realising too little and too late that Sarah might have been innocent, and the threat is still present. The group is now trapped in the same cave system as the first film, as some familiar faces make a sinister return.

The women-led composition of the first film has been reworked, while that’s kind of unfortunate, it does make sense considering the events of Part 1. We do get Rios, who is a nice inclusion, played by Krysten Cummings, and as hinted another face may have survived the onslaught of Crawlers, others make an appearance via flashbacks some with new material freshly filmed with a returning cast. With their inclusion, the audience is treated to more insight into the characters that part one could not have due to certain revelations that would become apparent later.

The Morlocian Crawlers have had a visual transformation in the two years since we last saw them. (Evolution can apparently happen in approximately 24 hours). It is nothing too drastic that may rob from the impact of seeing these creatures again. I also get the feeling that the cave sets have been reworked, feeling recognisable but giving everybody more sets to play with, and giving the film a grander yet paradoxically confined feel. Therefore, those worried that they have had their fill in Part 1, will have nothing to fear from Part 2.

While it lacks that deeper vain of paranoia that made the original stand out. Terror and excitement still lurk in the caves.  The Descent Part 2 still packs some impressive technical prowess and psychological horror that fans of the first would expect, (nay demand), with new and old characters and more room to explore ideas teased at in Part 1. The Descent Part 2 still proves there is more terror that is ready to be dug beneath the surface.

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