Available on 4K for the first time in the U.S., The Descent: Part 2 follows Sarah Carter — dazed, bloodied, and speechless — as she emerges alone from the Appalachian cave system where the events of The Descent occurred. Forced back underground to help the rescue team search for her missing girlfriends, Sarah’s fractured memories begin to return, and she realizes the full horror of what lurks in the depths of the caves. But the rescue team is about to face a new tribe of deformed crawlers — even more viciously feral than those Sarah encountered before.

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Video Quality

The Descent: Part II debuts on 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a 2160p/Dolby Vision presentation in 2.35:1, which represents the movie exceedingly well. The accompanying Blu-Ray likewise looks quite nice, as it has been derived from the same master. This is especially pertinent since the film has never received a Blu-Ray release in the United States, so those who have been waiting to upgrade from the land of standard definition, now is your time to shine. While both presentations are very strong, the 4K UHD Blu-Ray is the clear winner when it comes to properly displaying such challenging material.

Like its predecessor, Part II largely takes place in near-total darkness for the lion’s share of the runtime, and you need the best that technology can offer to make sure you can properly consume everything on display. This is where Dolby Vision/HDR comes in to save the day, as it is a beast when it comes to handling the contrast. With this type of material, you run the risk of crush and banding overtaking the screen, which it occasionally does in the standard Blu-Ray presentation. The 4K UHD Blu-Ray shows off with exceptionally deep black levels and a pleasing lack of digital noise. The presentation also provides a firm handling of the highlights, such as flashlights and the like, allowing for admirable clarity and no evidence of blooming.

The 4K presentation provides a depth of field throughout the cave that cannot be replicated to such success with the accompanying Blu-Ray. This transfer exhibits a sterling amount of detail in the crevices of the suffocating space and the stomach-churning practical goop and gore effects. This appears to have been shot on film, so the increase in detail is welcome in the rich texture brought forth with the film stock. Skin tones appear to be consistent throughout and show a terrific amount of facial detail, including facial hair and wounds. Color accuracy is another area of exceptional improvement thanks to the implementation of Dolby Vision. The film is not the most colorful, but the bright hues from some of the flares, along with the natural foliage when characters are outside the cave, are rendered quite faithfully. This 4K UHD presentation rivals what was accomplished with the first film.

Audio Quality

This disc comes with an effective DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio presentation that capably transports you to this suffocating environment. While this entry may not have gotten a full Dolby Atmos makeover like the original film, it never sounds like it is coming up short throughout the chaos. The sound design is one of the most impressive elements of the film, as every twitch in the darkness ratchets up the pulse-pounding anxiety. Every violent attack digs deep in the low end to deliver a mighty punch. Dialogue emerges clearly without ever being drowned out by any competing sonic elements. Sounds are carefully deployed with pinpoint directionality from the more chaotic moments to the early dialogue-driven moments. The score complements the story well enough with great fidelity. Lionsgate has provided a rock-solid listening experience. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

This release comes with a sleek new SteelBook exclusively at Lionsgate Limited that is quite fetching in person. Video of the SteelBook can be found at the top of this review.

Flashback on The Descent: Part II with Shauna Macdonald: A new 15-minute interview with the actress in which she reflects on the unexpected success of the original film due to real-world tragedies, the different endings of the first film, an unused opening for the sequel, her personal motivation for certain character actions, the physicality of the role, and more.

Flashback on The Descent: Part II with Krysten Cummings: A new 13-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses her first exposure to the original The Descent, the qualities of her character, attempting to play the reality of the situation, her favorite scenes, and more.

Legacy Special Features: This new disc carries over features from previous physical media releases.

- Audio Commentary: Director Jon Harris and Actors Shauna Macdonald, Krysten Cummings, and Anna Skellern

- The Making of The Descent: Part II – Deeper & Darker (26:49)

- The Genesis (3:19)

- Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary (10:13)

- EPK B-Roll (3:28)

- EPK Interview Clips (13:33)

- Production Design Gallery (1:43)

- Storyboard Gallery (5:54)

- US Trailer (1:44)

- International Trailer (1:30)

Final Thoughts

The Descent: Part II has the unenviable task of unnecessarily continuing the story of one of the best horror films of the 2000s. Our love for the original may shift our feelings somewhat, yet it feels pretty clear that this next chapter was not begging to be told. There was a special alchemy to the original film, and the focus on the women and their dynamics with one another was a refreshing change of pace for the time. This entry brings in some thinly developed men to ruin the lives of the women in different ways—and boy, do they!

There are so many aspects of the narrative that are baffling that it makes it difficult to enjoy. We do appreciate the returning characters and the upping of the ante with the violence, but there are too many moments that ask you to suspend your disbelief without earning your trust elsewhere. Add in a last-minute development that adds nothing but infuriating questions as the credits roll, and you have a horror sequel that would have been better off as a dream. It’s not a terrible movie in a vacuum, but it is a bad sequel. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that sports an exceptional A/V presentation and a premium number of special features in cool SteelBook packaging.

The Descent: Part II is currently available to purchase exclusively at Lionsgate Limited on 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.