CRAWL
US, 2019, 87 minutes, Colour.
Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper.
Directed by Alexandre Aja.
In the 1970s and 1980s there were lots of animal terror of films as well as disaster films. Crawl is in this vein, reminding audiences of the terrors in those films, monstrous animals, people in peril, even echoes of other films, like the underwater swimming in The Poseidon Adventure.
If filmmakers want to make this kind of story, this is certainly the way to do it. It works. And, it is brief and certainly does not outstay its welcome.
The early part of the film gives audiences plenty of clues to be alert to and then to follow-up. The central character is a young woman, Hayley, played by British actor Kaya Scodelario. She has been trained as a swimmer by her coach father, Barry Pepper, devoting himself to her and her sister, neglecting their mother. We know that this swimming expertise will be important whatever the disaster.
And, there is disaster, a level 5 hurricane in Florida. Hayley’s father is not answering his phone so, despite all warnings, she breaks through a roadblock and drives to find him. Disaster, freely chosen, naturally follows. And, when she arrives at her father’s house, there is plenty of room upstairs but she goes down into a vast crawlspace, accompanied by her father’s dog. He has been injured and, as she revives him, the audience leaps out of its seats, an enormous alligator hurling through a window.
While some refer to this kind of story as a horror story, it is probably more accurately described as a terror story. And, not just one giant alligator, two. While there is some protection in parts of the crawlspace, the menace of the alligators means that father and daughter have to be on the move (plenty of opportunities for swimming) and plenty of giant snapping jaws.
There are some momentary hopes of rescue when a family of looters is seen in the supermarket opposite but, of course… And then some of the Florida troopers arrive searching and…
Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper are convincing as father and daughter, do have some moments of reprieve where they can have genuine family talk and, unlike some other disaster menace films from the past, there is no time for any mushy or soppy romance!
The director, Alexandre Aja has made a number of horror and terror of films and his judgement about how to treat the characters and situations, how to dramatise the alligators and their menace and attacks, seems to be just right for this kind of film.
At the end, to bring people back down to earth and soothe after the terror, the soundtrack plays a rather jaunty version, Bill Haley and the Comet, of See you later, alligator, in a while, Crocodile!
Obviously, not everybody wants to submit themselves to this kind of terror, and imagining what it might be like if we were in such a situation. But, for those who enjoy this kind of film, it fits the bill perfectly.
1. An old-fashioned style monster-animal threat, in the middle of a Florida hurricane?
2. An emphasis on terror rather than horror?
3. The Florida settings, the swimming pool, driving through the countryside in the increasing rain, the roads and the roadblocks, the house, upstairs, the extensive crawlspace? The flooded streets, the store? Boats, helicopters? The musical score – augmenting the terror?
4. The screenplay providing many clues, utilising the clues and connecting them?
5. Hayley, the importance of being a champion swimmer, the initial swim, her losing, the flashbacks to her past and her father’s encouragement? The phone call from her sister, concern about their father? Her decision to drive to find him, his not answering the phone? Driving in the rain, the roadblock, the friendly guard, her deciding to go through? The drive, the increasing rain, the atmosphere of the hurricane?
6. Searching for her father, upstairs, the dog? Going down to the crawlspace, its vastness, the water coming in, mess and muck, discovering her father, trying to revive him?
7. The alligators, their size, viciousness? The shock editing for audiences to jump? The alligator through the window, later the boat through the window, the continued vicious snapping of the alligators, wounding Dave, wounding Hayley, their presence, making sounds to attract them, the challenge to father and daughter, hiding, shelter, swimming? Hayley drawing on her skills, her memories and her father?
8. The looters, trying to signal to them, the alligators, the young man willing to help, their all being killed?
9. The troopers, their arrival, coming into the house, and their being killed?
10. The action taking place over a couple of hours, the intensity, the rain, the water coming in the channels, the eye of the storm, the discovery of the alligator eggs?
11. The impact of the action, the editing, the pace, credible behaviour, credible heroics?
12. The attempts to get to the roof, out of the crawlspace, the continued attack of the alligators? The injuries? Dave and the loss of his arm? The possibilities with the boat but its being swept into the house?
13. The roof, the opportunities during the experience for father and daughter talks, about the family, growing up, the alienation of the mother?
14. The helicopters, the flare – and just the right moment for the end of the film? And See you later, Alligator, to calm down audiences as they left the cinema!
