The Last Descent

I saw this story as a clip on a tv show and did a wee bit of research online to find out the story of what happened. This film is heart wrenching and if you aren't claustrophobic before then that may change by the end of the film. I don't want to spoil the film for those who haven't seen it but it is worth watching.

The movie had the potential to bring out the real horror faced by John in that hopeless situation like similar movies have done. But the unnecessary fillers and they probably toned down the incident to be more of watchable made this and avg movie. In reality it was a horrifying event I'm sure and the lady playing his wife in the movie also acted cold and emotionless, which made things even worse.

I'm not sure why this film is rated so low. It is not a Hollywood blockbuster, not a Citizen Kane, you can tell its low budget. Regardless, the acting is pretty good, the directing and cinematography are good. It IS difficult to tell a story when we all know the outcome, so it feels a little long at times, but it is otherwise watchable.

The film was made with the utmost respect for John Jones. Aside from the scenes of him in the cave, there are many flashback and dream sequences that make John Jones a real person, not just the "guy who got stuck in the cave."

I will say that I do NOT recommend this film to anyone who suffers from claustrophobia or anxiety. I do not think you will enjoy it, as it will only exacerbate those issues.

Chadwick Hopsin gave a stellar performance as John. Kudos to Halasima for a beautifully done mosaic of John's life & ordeal. All actors were believable, set was well-done w/great attention to detail. Those saying you shouldn't watch if you're claustrophobic weren't kidding; it is very tense when John is scooching thru the narrow passage. Later, that extreme level of tension diminishes. However, I found that days after watching, this story still haunts me. Many call it similar to 127 Hours but it's more similar to Everest (Rob Hall), imo. Despite the horrific ordeal, there simply isn't the same level of suspense.

Some reviews are unhappy with the way the film was done. But w/any art, you need to look for what the presentation is trying to convey, not what you think it should convey. This is a beautiful retelling of who John was, what became of him, & some interesting ideas of what he might have experienced. But it does leave a lot out, which can be found on the web. IE, it doesn't reveal they tried to dig rock away to make more room, that 2 rescuers got stuck, or that only 15 were qualified to actually go into that part of the cave. It doesn't tell that the son of the cave-access manager was sent in to do the final crawl with a stethoscope. The nimble 15 y/o was a regular caver who also brought with him the radio for a final goodbye to Emily, which never took place.

I would definitely recommend watching this part-documentary/ part-drama & then do a search where you'll find things like a drawing depicting how John was positioned & the narrow access routes. The rescuer called Aaron in the film was actually Ryan Shurtz. In the only detail I could find about Ryan it was said despite his cave & rescue expertise when he first saw John's predicament he had to hold back tears. Both Ryan & Susie became friends of the families. But be warned: This film will stick to you. Many viewers find their way to YT channels like TFIL or CBG, where seasoned spelunkers film their adventures and make it back out. For me, watching those videos gave me some relief and a better understanding of what happened to John and even what kind of person would attempt such a challenge.

For those complaining there was a religious thread, this film wasn't designed to avoid personal triggers but to portray a man's touching journey. I think those who fear believers to the point they're compelled to constantly draw attention to their distain are the very people who need such trust & tranquility in their own lives. It's yours for the asking. I found this aspect of the film to be very moving, personally. Regardless if a person considers themselves a believer, we all long to know our loved one has found some solace and that they are not really lost.

Truly an amazing, intense watch. So glad I stumbled onto this film. There are many other harrowing stories of cavers around the world but, to my knowledge, this is the only full-length docudrama. But I will stress again, this will haunt some of those who watch.

So let's get this out of the way: it's not a high-quality movie. So don't watch it if you're interested in skillful filmmaking. Acting not great, writing not great, etc.

What it *is* is the only available cinematic retelling of the Nutty Putty Cave tragedy. So if you're interested in that sort of thing, you probably want to watch it. It helped me get the human element in this instead of just being horrified by online diagrams of a guy stuck forever upside down in a hole.

I consider myself a mini-expert on the event after having read everything I can find on it. There are inaccuracies in this movie, important details they left out on purpose, lots of romanticizing (probably for the sake of the surviving family), a ton of sappy dream sequence filler as an artistic liberty, an inordinate focus on John's courtship with his wife, and they don't even show his death from a third-person POV and the closing off of the cave. They totally gloss over the death part and don't even show the aftermath.

In the end this feels like a B movie commissioned by his friends as a gift to his surviving family, so they can memorialize him in a touching light. And I get that, and it's very sweet.

But if you're a Nutty Putty armchair scholar, you probably wanted something with more substance and less fluff.