10 Things You Didn't Know About The Descent
4. It Took Influence From The Likes Of Texas Chainsaw, Alien, Deliverance And The Thing
Though The Descent really was a breath of fresh air in terms of bringing something new to the world of horror, however there were plenty of influences behind the tone and themes presented over the film.
Marshall has cited three horror films as being the biggest influences on The Descent.
The likes of Alien and Deliverance proved to be the influence to Marshall in how to build tension and suspense, with the film going well over the halfway mark before any of the main cast die but the threat and atmosphere being established throughout its runtime.
The Thing provided the inspiration behind the constant paranoia and suspicion prevalent in the group, whilst The Texas Chainsaw Massacre supposedly helped provide Marshall with the desolate UK ending. Marshall explained how the sight of the film's final girl making it out of the house or crawling away from the wreckage had always been the symbol of a happy ending. However The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and then The Descent attempted to show that just because someone had (supposedly) escaped from the immediate horrors, it doesn't mean they've necessarily 'won'.