PIC of the Week – Crawl
Article series by Ray Schillaci
Paramount releases the jaws of death with Alexandre Aja’s Crawl. Not only do we have a young heroine defending her father from an alligator in a crawl space (that’s bad enough), they are also facing a category 5 hurricane with a levy that is about to break. Director Aja unnerved us with his High Tension. He was handpicked by Wes Craven for the successful remake of The Hills Have Eyes, knew exactly how to approach a schlocky horror “B” pic and turn it into comedy/horror show with Piranha 3D, and now Sam Raimi (Evil Dead) unleashes him to have our skin crawl with possibly the best reptile horror movie to date.
Yes, I’m going to go out of my way and place Crawl at the top of my list of fun horror reptile movies that include Lake Placid, Anaconda, 1981’s Venom, Larry Cohen’s Q, and even one of my all time faves, Lewis Teague and John Sayles’ 1980 wonderful fright flick, Alligator. All of the following are a worthy Halloween viewing. The big difference with Crawl is the slick professional production that has our heart pounding and us dreading every turn. The acting is believable. No cheese here as with so many other alligator or snake films. The director and his writers Michael and Shawn Rasmussen, who penned John Carpenter’s The Ward, ratchet the tension until it’s almost unbearable. I cannot tell you how many times I nearly jumped off the goddamn couch.
But, this film is not just about scares. Both Alexandre Aja and his writers deliver characters with real depth. Kaya Scodelario who has graced us with her performances in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Moon, and the Maze Runner series, plays Haley, an aspiring swimmer with the University of Florida. I’d place her on that list of badasses right alongside Ripley, Sarah Connor, and Imperator Furiosa.
During a severe storm, her sister, living in another state, calls her with concerns about not being able to reach their father. Haley seems more irritated and put out than concerned due to the strained relationship she has with her dad. Yet, she ventures forth anyway even after all the warnings on the radio and police road blocks.
After checking his apartment and finding his dog abandoned, Haley grabs the scruffy mutt and off they go to their old house that is up for sale. Once there, Haley finds her dad’s truck, but no sign of him. The cabinet to the sink is open, the pipes look like they’ve been worked on, and a faint radio noise is heard underneath the house. This is all taking place as a category 5 hurricane is bearing down on the area and the depiction is intense. Haley braves going underneath only to find her dad unconscious, and with a chunk taken out of his shoulder. Pulling her father to safety between the pipes in the crawlspace, she’s confronted by an alligator. This damn thing is so lifelike, unlike the shark from Jaws.
Barry Pepper as Dave, Haley’s strong-willed father, is perfectly matched with Scodelario. He’s gruff, tough, and has had enough of being attacked by both the reptile and his daughter. He’s hard on her for his own reasons, and they are loving. This is not only a horror story, but a survival one as well. Not just surviving the elements and the alligator, but surviving a stormy relationship that needs fixing. That’s what makes this film so much better than most of its genre.
Also. the predicament is not just getting them out from under the house, it’s the rising water in the crawlspace. Director Aja has such a freakish way of developing claustrophobic situations that it makes us gasp for breath even when an alligator is not involved. The violence is brutal and jarring. Things happen to people in this film that you never expect. And, for animal lovers – this is not the film for you because the alligator(s) are the bad guys.
Damn, if this 1080p picture is not incredibly sharp. There is no losing anything in the dark scenes whether it’s in the crawlspace or underwater. It’s hard to even imagine how much better it would be if Paramount had afforded us a 4K version. Now, this may not make much sense to you, but there is a lot of drabness to the film in general. But, that replicates the weather conditions beautifully. And, skin tones along with some of those quick bloody moments really stand out.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 can be very effective at times. For some reason, someone has favored the front channel through a good part of the film. When the surround does kick in, suspense is amped up. Dialogue does get lost now and then during the storm, but it does not deplete the power of Haley’s signature line that makes you want to cheer.
Bonuses are spotty on this disc. Less than an hour of supplements with nearly ten minutes we did not need. An introduction with an unnecessary explanation of the opening of the film. And, a motion comic with an alternate opening that does not seem to add value to the film. Here’s the brief laundry list:
¥ Intro to Alternate Opening
¥ Alternate Opening
¥ Deleted and Extended Scenes – 3 in all
¥ Beneath Crawl – a making of featurette
¥ Category 5 Gators: The VFX of Crawl
¥ Alligator Attacks – clips from some of the more violent moments
Okay, aside from some lackluster bonuses, this is a great thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend having a firm grip on your bucket of popcorn while viewing this one.
Lowest Price – $22.95 – Walmart and Amazon
