[Editorial] Smells Like Team Spirit: The Psychology of Group Behaviour in Neil Marshall’s The Descent (2003)

Neil Marshall’s The Descent (2003) follows a group of women as they attempt to survive a pot holing expedition. The shared themes of leadership, teamwork and responding to unpredictable events are prescient in the film.

This paper will provide a detailed look at the psychology and behaviours of the women and explore the role of leadership undertaken by Juno and how, while the opposite sex are mostly absent there are no ‘female’ or ‘male’ coded characters. In addition, this essay will also examine how the presence of fear, anxiety and isolation impacts on the nature of trust which is integral to the survival of the group. Furthermore, a close look will be taken into the ways in which the group handles themselves both as individuals and as a collective, as they are thrust into the most extreme of circumstances. 

Connection and Conflict

The Descent focuses on a group of six women from a range of backgrounds who have varying relationships with one another. Marshall seeks to align his audience with Sarah (Shauna Macdonald), a young woman who has recently lost her husband and child in a car crash. Sarah shares a close and authentic friendship with Beth (Alex Reid), a teacher who has been supportive throughout the grieving process. Joining them is Juno (Natalie Mendoza), a born leader who is energetic and focused. In addition to this are sisters Sam (MyAnna Buring), a doctor in training and Rebecca (Saskia Mulder), who has a love for the outdoors and finally, Holly (Nora-Jane Noone) who is described as Juno’s ‘protégé’. There are a multitude of dynamics within this group including sisterhoods, friendships, conflict and a meshing of different ideas and life experiences. All of this will play into the events and problems they will shortly be faced with, and their individuality that will be just as important as their ability to remain unified as a group. 

A crucial and necessary ingredient of a successful horror film is having the opportunity to see the characters who will come under threat operating in carefree modes, socialising with one another without fear. The women in The Descent are shown in the opening scene laughing together on a white-water rafting expedition which takes place out in the open, symbolising a freedom that contrasts with the claustrophobia of their forthcoming cave expedition. There is a subtle undercurrent of tension looming between Sarah and Juno, but this is not unpleasant and doesn’t impact on the obvious joy of their shared experience. We are also given the opportunity to see the group outside of the primary location of threat (the cave) as they drink and have fun in their cabin.

The Horror of Environment 

In the opening scene, whilst they are having fun, the women are seen navigating unpredictable rapids that eventually turn into calm waters. However, we soon relocate to a remote location one year later in the Appalachian Mountains. The danger of nature is a constant in both films but here the women will contend with more than just waterfalls and caves- they will have to squeeze through tiny passageways and deal with paranoia, claustrophobia, and panic attacks. Through exploration of the caves, the women are effectively descending into a vaginal-like space only to be surprised by male humanoids who shoot-up and appear, embodying a penal or phallic-like state. The fight which they are forced to undergo could therefore be read as representing the constant daily battle that women have with oppressive male forces and the patriarchal structures that exist within society. 

Follow the Leader

In Ancient History Juno was known as a Goddess who protected the women of Rome and who was worshipped as Queen of the Gods. The inference Marshall is making here is obvious, his character Juno holds natural leadership qualities steering the group (the women of Rome) with her fierceness coming across as appealing and admirable. She steers the raft at the beginning and assumes the role of initial leader of the expedition, both acting as early signs that she enjoys being at the centre of the action. Never afraid to step forward, Juno is often the first member of the group to commit to action; she is the first person to greet Sarah and Beth when they arrive at the cabin and the first to descend into the cave; she refuses to be ignored and is at heart an adrenaline- junkie who thrives on attention. However, importantly, Juno is also concerned about doing things ‘safely’ and often insists that the right measures are taken. Her decision to forgo the map seems to contradict this but once they are inside the system, she does everything she can to keep the group safe and alive. 

Trust or Die

The theme of trust is integral to the film with the group needing to work together, not against one another, if they are to stand any chance of surviving. They begin by operating in unison because at this point a shared trust exists but as things unravel and the fight gets harder, they become separated, and their individual survival becomes more important than that of the wider group. In The Descent, all of the women contribute to the group by displaying both physical and intellectual strengths. Juno acts as leader but is not opposed to calling upon others when needed, Rebecca navigates the deadly ravine, Holly insists on bringing a video camera which plays a crucial part in their survival as well as soldiering on through a severe leg injury, Beth finds the cave paintings which seem to guide them towards an exit, Sarah is first to spot the crawlers and, as a doctor-in-training, Sam is able to provide information and insight into how the crawlers operate. Furthermore, the women are neither presented as doing extraordinary things (potholing for them, is a normal activity) or as ultra-male simply because they choose to undertake an extreme sport.  

Ego Trips and Unmanageable Chaos

The first moment of tension amongst the group occurs with the discovery that Juno has left the map behind resulting in even Holly (thus far Juno’s closest ally) turning on her ‘Don’t pin that shite on me’ as Juno reminds them of their shared belief that without risk, there is no thrill. Furthermore, this is intensified when it also transpires that a flight plan has not been logged with Rebecca calling this: ‘an ego trip’ for Juno. The cave system has never been explored before and understandably, the group direct their anger and feelings of betrayal towards Juno. The trust issue is thus questioned at this early stage. However, on this occasion it does not break the group, instead with her steely confidence and command Juno remains focused, practical and manages to limit the damage by containing the conflict.    

When the group reach the cavern of bones with its numerous passages leading off it, panic begins to rise about which direction to take. When Juno’s lighter trick doesn’t work, even she admits she is unsure. This admission of uncertainty by the groups’ leader is shortly followed by their first collective sighting of a crawler and tensions reaches new heights as we see them begin to make a series of irrational yet understandable decisions. A previously pragmatic and focused Juno even declares: ‘fuck this, lets pick a tunnel and take our chances’. Approached by another crawler, they disperse into offshoots with Sam and Rebecca heading one way and Beth and Sarah heading another-they have now lost their strength as a unit. 

Juno tries to defend an injured Holly from the crawler but is unable to save her. If only the group had managed to stick together, they may have been successful in taking down the crawler but alone, Juno is unable to achieve this. Beth loses Sarah as she smashes into the ground and Juno mistakenly attacks Beth in a moment of disorientation and defensiveness. There is no logic or calm to their decisions now, everything is raw, primal and reactionary. Previously a fighter for and on behalf of others, Juno now knows that she must fight for herself as she deserts Beth and tells her: ‘I can’t save you’. Meanwhile, sisters Rebecca and Sam cannot agree on what to do: ‘we have to go back’ Rebecca says but Sam feels differently: ‘fuck that’. Just as Juno abandons Beth, so too do the sisters have to fight for their own survival. Juno calls out to Rebecca and unknowingly diverts the creature from Rebecca and Sam who quietly concede that they would rather Juno was in danger than themselves. The team spirit has made way for the survival of the individual.

Survival of the Fittest

The Descent offers a gripping psychological studies of group behaviour, leadership, and the volatile nature of trust under extreme circumstances. While the team look to Juno for strength and guidance, they also question the trust and sincerity of their leader, confirming her status as an outsider. The unpredictable and hostile environment which the women find themselves within also contributes to their ability to survive and this, coupled with the threat of the crawlers, work together to demonstrate that nature is a force to be reckoned with.

Isolated and confined, the group depend upon a foundation of shared trust in order to endure through a series of life-threatening challenges as they edge closer towards danger. When leadership and trust break down and the survival instincts kick in, the failure to act as one coherent unit results in separation and a weakened defence. The Descent has a deeply unsettling and ambiguous ending which refreshingly do not point to any definitive conclusions. In this film, through the themes of leadership, trust and survival, Marshall shows that, irrespective of gender we are all first and foremost, human. 

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