'Crawl' Movie Review

Released: 23rd August 2019 (UK)

Length: 87 Minutes

Certificate: 15

Director: Alexandre Aja

Starring: Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper

Patrolling the waters for millions of years, crocodiles and alligators may not be as popular as sharks on the big screen, but they still hold their reputation for scares. Moving away from the campy horror of Lake Placid and with Sam Raimi attached, Crawl marks itself as one of the better monster thrillers of recent years.

Taking place in modern Florida, we follow university student Hayley Keller (Kaya Scodelario), who is attempting to reconnect with her family at the end of the summer. Against the advice of local law enforcement, Hayley ventures into her old family home to find her dad (played by Barry Pepper), only to be trapped in the basement with a pod of ravenous alligators. With just the right amount of seriousness, ninety percent of the film takes place inside the house as Hayley and her father attempt to escape the rampaging creatures. You’ve seen this kind of setting many times before; I was reminded a lot of 2017’s The Shallows when watching. It doesn’t do anything new but apes its superior inspirations well enough. After a brief introduction to Hayley and her prowess at competitive swimming, we’re dropped into the flooded streets of Florida and never pulled out. One thing Crawl does well is escalation; with the water from the hurricane slowly rising and other escape routes being cut off, the pressure on Hayley and Dave continues to mount. As a result, the pacing never lets up and the film maintains the audience’s attention.

This same simplicity carries into the characterisation; Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper make for a likeable duo, their family bond on show at all the right moments. Kaya delivers one of the better performances of her career alongside some great physicality in the underwater sequences. With both characters making use of every resource at their disposal, you’re always invested; much like the narrative, the film gives just enough character development to make the audience care without getting bogged down in the finer details. Unfortunately, the film does fall victim to some survival clichés and characters making silly decisions; it doesn’t drag the film down too much, but it’s certainly noticeable when a side character refuses to move away from the water, leading to some predictable moments.

For a film with a modest setting, Crawl is very well produced; the camera is placed both in and out of the water to build up the tension. The raging hurricane that engulfs Florida is brilliantly rendered on-screen, and as the waters grow more violent and choppy, the storm becomes a fledgling part of the film’s central plot. This in turn results in a varied mixture of action sequences; at first Hayley is sliding through the muddy crawlspace to find her father, and later the two are slowly inching their way towards safety in chest-high water to avoid attracting the attention of the predators. The deaths in the movie are extremely grisly, getting across the vicious power of the reptiles, which despite their presentation via CGI, still give off a sinister presence throughout the film. The audio design is especially memorable with the bone-chilling hisses made by the alligators creating a foreboding atmosphere. This along with the howling winds creates an unnerving setting that enhances the more frightening elements.

It may bear the same traits and predictable twists as its contemporaries, but Crawl is an entertaining and straightforward slice of creepy claustrophobia; it makes use of its simplistic setting and cast to deliver a capable set of frights and tension while never outstaying its welcome or dragging things out. In short, it’s a solid ride to close out the summer with.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars (Good)