# The Descent (2005 film). Were the monsters real?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-descent-2005-film-were-the-monsters-real/819201>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 7, 2018, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-descent-2005-film-were-the-monsters-real/819201 "2018-08-07T00:28:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-descent-2005-film-were-the-monsters-real/819201/1 "2018-08-07T00:28:17Z")

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Ignoring part 2 of the movie and just assuming part 1 was a stand alone feature.

Were the monsters real, or were they just the main characters suppressed rage against her friends who she blamed for her husband and daughter’s death?

The original ending makes me think the main character was delusional.

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-descent-2005-film-were-the-monsters-real/819201/2 "2018-08-07T01:34:26Z")

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Also I’m watching this right now. Before they go into the cave one of the women starts talking about all the dangers of caving. She mentions auditory and visual hallucinations, paranoia, panic attacks, disorientation. Sounds like what the characters went through.

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**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-descent-2005-film-were-the-monsters-real/819201/3 "2018-08-07T03:48:56Z")

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Great movie. It’s a long time since I saw it, so I can’t remember all the details, but I felt something like that was hinted at. The title itself hints at “descent into madness”. But I don’t think we know for sure. Better to leave it unanswered than a soap-opera-esque reveal that it was all in her mind?

Incidentally, from Wikipedia:

> [@](#):
>
> In the UK releases of the film, Sarah wakes up in the cave after seeing Juno, revealing she was dreaming the escape. She then sees a vision of Jessica’s birthday cake, which is just her torch. The camera slowly backs out as the crawlers are heard closing in on Sarah as the movie cuts to the credits.
> 
> This part of the ending was cut out because it was thought it was too dark for US audiences.