MOVIE REVIEW: CRAWL
⭐️⭐️⭐️
With special effects that make enormous alligators appear hyper-realistic,
Crawl punches a whirlwind of a storm into two hours of giant fun.
The elements of fear abound in Crawl, a movie set against a backdrop of a massive Florida hurricane where apex predators; oversized, angry alligators are hellbent on hunting humans and rising waters provide little space where claustrophobia and drowning are real possibilities.
Underdog swimming champ Haley (Kaya Scodelario) sets out on a search for her father, Dave (Barry Pepper) when she and her sister cannot get in touch with him as the massive storm shudders the entirety of south Florida.
Deciding to break through the barricade of a mandatory evacuation zone, Haley puts not only herself at risk but also the evacuation team whom must then attempt a rescue. As horror movies go, the dispensable peripheral characters usually lose their lives so that our protagonists have a chance to live theirs.
Crawl achieves a flux of several highs and lows within it’s compact and linear plot. While the focus remains on a father, daughter, dog- dynamic, director Alexandre Aja intelligently incorporates a backstory that enhances character development.
While you won’t leave this movie smarter, you will most likely have enjoyed yourself for a couple hours. And sometimes that’s just what the alligator wrangler ordered.
Horror Revival 