the crawl is based on people's instinctive horror when it comes to surviving a larger, more deadly animal. The film is directed by Alexandre Agen, and is generally less terrifying than his previous films, with more reliance on building suspense rather than bloody consequences, although I do not mean here that the film does not contain many horrific and disgusting moments (this is an animal attack movie in end of the day).
The story of the film is simple but has an impact, as it literally presents a monster scenario inside the house, in which we see university student Haley (Kaya Scodelario), a combat swimmer. We see this talent since the beginning of the film so that we know that it will bear fruit later, stuck inside a flooded house full of hungry crocodiles. When a Category 5 Hurricane strikes Florida, Haley breaks an evacuation order to go check on her father, Dave (Barry Piper), who has not been answering her repeated calls and messages.
Dave turns out to be injured and stuck in his basement with several crocodiles, and now Haley is stuck, too. And the way they try to conquer these predators and survive is the main source of fun and tension in the movie. With those crocodiles that eat humans, a fierce tornado, devastating floods, and wandering thieves, the Keys region, in which the events of the film takes place, can be likened to Nubar Island from the movie Jurassic Park, regardless of whether that analogy is fair to that region.
Much of the crawl events take place inside Dave's basement, and Aga takes advantage of every inch of that dark and gloomy window for maximum nerve-damaging effect. The pipes are the only things that keep Dave and Haley safe from the crocodiles but that doesn't mean they can stay in hiding there for a long time because Dave is badly injured, the floodwaters are rising, and the house is being destroyed more and more as time progresses. Aga succeeds brilliantly in heightening the sense of claustrophobia and the fear of being stuck in such an apparently inevitable setting, as well as the fear of not knowing what might lurk in the dark or in the water.
As expected, Haley's swimming skills are exploited in action and suspense scenes, but her struggle as an athlete in and of itself is also a source of the current rift between her and her father. Their emotional issue may not be a new idea, but the solid performances of Scodelario and Bieber help bring a human feel to this Predator movie. And considering that Haley and Dave are native Florida residents, they are familiar with alligators, hurricanes and the like, so they are more prepared than the usual characters in other horror films, but with the sheer power that these ancient monsters possess, even the most prepared people like our heroes find themselves On the cusp of death.
It can be said that the Crawl is the perfect horror movie to watch in the middle of the night, especially with your friends, thanks to the sense of collective fear and the nervous laugh it stirs up all the time. Although the film does not offer a new idea, especially for people who have watched movies like Jaws or Lake Placid, the Crawl offers a lot of fun and a sense of tension.
Conclusion
The Crawl is a fun movie, although it offers a familiar story of conflict between humans and monsters, and it makes good use of its dubious framework and deep human fear of being eaten. Director Alexandre Agen knows very well how to take us on a tour full of tension, fear and excitement, although his fans who loved his bloodiest and scariest movies might be surprised that the Crawl is lighter and more suited to all audiences in comparison. Nevertheless, you will have a great time watching the Crawl