When a film isn’t screened for members of the press, it’s usually a bad sign. Typically, it means that either the studio doesn’t have faith or confidence in the picture, and are releasing it quickly out of obligation rather than enthusiasm. Crawl is a horror film that hasn’t gotten a lot of press leading up to its release and wasn’t screened for many members of the press. That is, until very late this week. It’s a remarkable marketing misstep, because while it’s no horror classic, this picture is an entertaining B-movie that delivers plenty of tense alligator action.
The movie boasts an excellent pedigree behind the camera as well. It’s produced by Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead series, Drag Me to Hell) and directed by Alexandre Aja (High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes remake, Piranha 3D). Both know how to deliver a combination of fun, freaky and disturbing chills. As you may already have imagined, they go to town in this tale of a father and daughter struggling to survive under unusual and highly dangerous circumstances.
Set almost entirely around a house in Florida, the story follows Haley Keller (Kaya Scodelario), a young woman on a swimming scholarship who learns that a category 5 hurricane is about to bear down on her hometown. Concerned about the well-being of her stubborn, recently divorced father (Barry Pepper), she heads past police barricades to try and locate him. The trail leads to the old family property. As if it isn’t enough for Haley to have to endure massive floodwaters and high winds slowly taking down the building, she soon must contend with the arrival of several hungry alligators ready for some fresh meat.
It’s a very simple and basic plot and really an excuse to get the lead character in a difficult spot. Of course, audiences just have to witness and accept the fact that there is no movie unless the protagonist makes some big mistakes to get her to the locale and stuck in the basement. Some time is also spent delving into Haley’s troubled relationship with her father, who devoted his time to pushing her to her limits, resulting in some ill-will. As in many of these features, the leads are also at time a little too resilient given what happens to them. Thankfully, the performers are charismatic enough that one can forgive the genre tropes on display.
The real stars of the piece are the antagonists, a set of digitally created reptiles eager to tear apart any living thing in their path. And of course, with the rising waters, viewers are never certain what is awaiting them just below the surface. The villain’s toothy, grinning visages are so amusing that one wonders why it has been so long since alligators have headlined a horror movie (off the top of my head, 2007’s Rogue, 1999’s Lake Placid and 1980’s Alligator are the only noteworthy ones in recent memory). While these are entirely CGI creations, they do look sharp enough to suspend disbelief.
And as mentioned, the filmmakers are incredibly skilled in building and maintaining tension as the trapped characters try in desperation to make their way out of crawlspaces and narrow hallways past alligators. It’s the primary reason for this film’s existence and thankfully the action elements are the most effective. The jump scares and scaly surprises presented are perfectly timed and often unexpected. There are some really tense moments with a character attempting to locate a large drainpipe and shimmy their way through to the surface, as well as some rescuers who get a big surprise after arriving on the property. This movie also has a lot of fun moving the camera in and out of areas, as well as rapidly chasing down its leads and putting them within inches of being grasped or snapped. And as the tide rises and the protagonists find themselves with nowhere left to hide, things really get entertaining.
This is a horror movie that moves at a rapid pace and delivers a non-stop barrage of chills and thrills. And strangely enough, it’s actually more effective than many other genre titles that have been previewed for critics. Crawl is an enjoyably nerve-racking little B-movie that delivers the gruesome goods. Horror fans should definitely check it out while it’s in theaters.