Crawl

We fear a lot of things as human beings. Some of us fear bacterias, diseases, or perhaps mental issues. It is easy sometimes to forget that there are more things to fear, especially if you are out in the wilderness. Just imagine if you are in Australia, where you have snakes, poison spiders, crocodiles, bull sharks and many more dangerous animals. Would you really walk everywhere without a flame thrower or a grenade launcher ? Exactly, we would wear them both ( just in case of course ). I am hoping to visit Australia in the future, there seems to be so much to see and experience in this country. Hopefully visit the grave of Michael Hutchence, lead singer of INXS, a band i have listened to for many years. Speaking of Australia, how many of you remember the really well made Australian horror film Rogue, released in 2007 ? In my opinion, one of the better crocodile horror films made, directed by Greg McLean ( who also directed the Australian horror films Wolf Creek and Wolf Creek 2, both worth checking out ). Rogue is inspired by the true story of Sweetheart, a giant male saltwater crocodile who attacked boats in the late 1970´s. One of the reasons why Rougue is so good, is that the special effects are very effective. The giant crocodile works really well, and i have to mention that the cast does a wonderful job as well. Alligators and crocodiles are included in many classic horror films, such as director Tobe Hooper´s 1977 film Eaten Alive, or the 1999 cult film known as Lake Placid. What if you were trapped in a building, during a tornado, while you have alligators attacking you ? Sounds like the perfect Thanksgiving weekend right ? This is the basic story of the horror film Crawl, a horror film that combines 2 classic horror elements. Is this a surprisingly effective horror film, or should Crawl have been thrown into the sea to be buried within the sand ?

A tornado is spreading across Florida, and Haley Keller ( Kaya Scodelario ) is worried about her father Dave Keller ( Barry Pepper ), if he is stuck inside his house. She decides to go out there in the Category 5  hurricane, even if the Florida State Police advice her to leave the area. She refuses to do so, and drive towards her father´s house. The house is in terrible shape, and she finds her father wounded underneath the crawl space of the house. But it becomes clear that Haley is not prepared for what is about to come, that alligators are surrounding the house, and the water levels are rising fast. Unless they find a way out, these beast will finish them off for good.

If you enjoyed the Australian horror film Rogue, then i guarantee you will have fun with Crawl. This is the kind of horror film that does not rely on any jump scares, but focus more about our fear of real animals and the damage they can do. In some ways you could say that Crawl is an old school horror film, since you can feel that there are influences here from classic crocodile / alligator films in the past. Let´s talk about what i enjoy most about Crawl. The alligators actually look better than i expected, for being CGI effects. As they move around the water across the house, they actually look more realistic than i expected. One example, when then attack and take a victim, they feed on the human body in a way that looks realistic, as if they would attack in real life. I am no alligator expert in any way, im just saying that they have managed to capture the animal instincts of an alligator that i have seen several times on TV. Another detail i think Crawl manage to do, is to show the horrible environment of the damage a tornado can do. There are several scenes where it feels like you get a glimpse of how a tornado function. We have to talk about the cast. There are basically 2 actors in this film, who is the main characters. Let´s begin with lead actress Kaya Scodelario ( known from The Maze Runner trilogy ), who plays the character Haley. You can tell right from the start that she is a survivor, and Kaya manage to capture that feeling in this film with a powerful performance. Actor Barry Pepper ( who can be seen in 2 of The Maze Runner sequels ) as Haleys father Dave, also gives a strong performance. As an alligator horror film, Crawl is without a doubt one of the better films in this genre since the 2007 horror film Rogue. Director Alexandre Aja ( who directed the really good 2006 remake of The Hills Have Eyes ) have made a very effective horror film with simple details. If you love horror films and alligators, then you have to see Crawl. This is a horror treat that you will have a good time with. Who would have thought we would have a quality film in this genre again ?

Rating: DDDD