I've seen my fair share of student horror films and The Descendant is by far the best. It's extremely well made and looks professional from the credits to the shockingly good special effects. Especially good here is the production design. The house feels as if it's slowly rotting from the inside out. It's like a mix of the dusty dilapidation of Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the cold sterility of Terence Fisher's Hammer films. Robert Glickert directs the film like an old pro, and it's just enjoyable to watch it unfold. Sometimes you have to struggle to follow or make sense of a student film, but Glickert guides the viewer with an expert hand. The level of skill on display is truly rare for a student film, and is unfortunately becoming increasingly rare for theatrical horror films.
