CRAWLSPACE
US, 2022, 95 minutes, Colour.
Henry Thomas, Bradley Stryker, C. Ernst Harth, Jennifer Robertson, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Joe Costa, Catherine Lpugh Haggquist, Colin Decker.
Directed by L.Gustavo Cooper.
This is a tough action thriller, a portrait of a working class Everyman, family man, who is placed in a difficult situation, his life threatened by ruthless criminals, his using his wits to save himself and to outwit the criminals. Seen many times before, but always an interesting theme.
The setting is Oregon with some wonderful mountain scenery. It opens with the cutting down of trees – and the revelation that this is in illegal areas, the wood being traded for money and for drugs. And, a number of the townspeople are involved in the process as well as altering the books to cover the finances.
In this context, the audience is introduced to Robert Mitchell, played by Henry Thomas, long ago the friend of ET, plumber, new baby, happily married, but kind in letting people off paying their debts to the upset of his wife who is an accountant for the finances the logging company. Off he goes to do some work in the crawlspace of the respected citizen who, in fact, controls the logging scam.
The audience is also seeing one of the most ugly and ruthless villains on screen, played by Bradley Stryker, with his yes-man associate, overly large, C.Ernst Harth. The exchange of drugs and money fails and so they go to the house of the logging manager, killing him, not knowing that Robert Mitchell is in the crawlspace.
So, much of the action under the floor, claustrophobic, menacing criminals, and Robert Mitchell using his wits.
There may be some suspicion about the sheriff in the town who is supported by his genial deputy – and, certainly, with a twist as to who is the mastermind of the situation.
- The title, the space under the house, contents, where the action takes place? Claustrophobic?
- The Oregon setting, natural beauty, the mountains? The town, the isolated home, the forests, the sawmills? The musical score?
- The setting, the sawing of the trees, illegal, transporting, cutting them up, selling them, money for drugs? The dealers, the trucks and the rendezvous, Sterling and Dooley, their task, the Russian, confrontation, sterling shooting? The money missing? They going to the house, confrontation with Tim, his owning of the sawmill, popular in the town, jogging, arriving home, hiding the money in the crawlspace, the confrontation, his death?
- Robert Mitchell as hero, the working class Everyman, with his baby, talking his macho image, love for his wife, letting people off payments, his work as a plumber, her wanting to go back to her accountancy work, the clash? His going to work, the car breaking down, walking to work, his tools and equipment, working in the crawlspace? Overhearing the murder?
- The background of the police, the sheriff, large and jovial, Jordan, practical commonsense, friendly? The arrival of Helen Masur, the FBI, the financial discrepancies in the accounts, she and Jordan examining them, calling on Carrie, Carrie looking over the accounts, quiet, with the baby? Carrie on further discrepancies, with Jordan, their driving out to Tim’s house?
- The main action in the crawlspace, Robert, terrified, emerging out, with the arrow? His ingenuity in treating the wound, cauterising it? His preparing weapons? The dialogue interactions between Sterling and Robert? The taunts, pretence of deals? Robert cutting Dooley’s hand? Shots fired? Robert, clever, the drill and Sterling’s foot? The day going on, Robert hardening his attitude, his phone out of commission? Memories of wife and child?
- The arrival of Jordan and Carrie, the twist in the plot, Jordan and her control, confrontation with Sterling? His shooting her? Sterling, Roberts confrontation, his death?? The threats to carry, Robert and his attitude towards the money, burning part of it to taunt Sterling? The threat to burn it all? Sterling’s death?
- The sheriff, the arrest of Jordan?
- The aftermath, family life – and the sheriff with the gift of the money for the future?
