Review of Crawl (2019) by Thequietgamer — 26 Oct 2019

Given his proficiency with gore Alexandre Aja could have gone the B-movie route with Crawl and still delivered a good time for the people who have enjoyed his previous works. Instead he came out of his box and made a genuinely respectable thriller. The first sign this isn't going to be another Piranha 3D comes from how he takes time to make the protagonist feel like a real, layered human being before putting her through a watery and scaly hell. We learn about her goals, life, and even her personal and familial struggles. All of which define who she is and her behavior for the audience in a believable manner. Personally, I didn't quite care much about this stuff as I was really only here to see people get eaten, but those a little more demanding of their movies will likely appreciate that this isn't straight Lake Placid style schlock.

Aja keeps things lean and mean with a brisk 87 minute running-time. A welcome change in pace from the 2+ hour mega-blockbusters that make up the majority of cinema today. Once the first gator appears it's a non-stop series of ever-escalating, yet grounded thrills. The majority of the action takes place in one location and revolves around only a few characters. For all the praise small-scale horror films like this often receive, I've begun to realize how having only a handful of people onscreen can limit the tension in a way. It's hard to get a full sense of danger as we know the main character is going to be mostly fine until maybe the very end of the movie, and the side-characters are usually just there for the body count so they don't get any development. This is a problem Crawl doesn't have as the person who spends the most time beside the protagonist gets just as fleshed out as she does while still only taking on a supporting role. So we end up caring just as much about them as we do her, which keeps the anticipation and dread in each encounter high due to their lack of leading actor protection.

Alexandre Aja did everything he could to make Crawl an experience that could be enjoyed by more than just those who typically watch movies about killer reptiles. It's not quite the Jaws of alligator flicks (more like the Don't Breathe), but should succeed at having a wider-reaching appeal than any that have come before it. Plus, in his effort to target more than just a niche audience Aja shows real growth as a director and delivered what's likely his best film to date.