CRAWL MOVIE REVIEW

Crawl Review: Haley Keller (Kaya Scodelario), an aspiring collegiate swimmer, finds out that a category five hurricane is fast approaching Florida. Her father Dave (Barry Pepper) lives in the path of the storm and is unreachable on the phone. Worried about his safety, Haley sets out to check on him despite the police warning her against it. She finds him unconscious in the flooding basement of the house; he has been attacked by alligators swimming in the waters. Haley needs to use her swimming skills to survive the cold-blooded reptiles and save her father.

The father-daughter relationship between Dave and Haley makes you care about these characters. You can understand why their relationship has become estranged over the years, which makes it gratifying to see them work together to survive. This is amplified by Kaya Scodelario as Haley and Barry Pepper as her father. Both are good in their roles and their chemistry anchors the film down to make their survival matter. Although the storyline is straightforward, the atmosphere invokes a sense of dread, and the pressure of Haley and Dave making it out alive is relentless.

The CGI is surprisingly good with the alligators – they never look fake, which helps to keep their constant threat intact. Some inconsistencies with the visual effects take you out of certain scenes with the hurricane. But the dangers of the powerful force of nature and the claustrophobia in the basement are maintained throughout. What hinders the film are its plot conveniences and clichés. Some characters are introduced with little or no consequence, other than to establish the ferocity of the alligators. A few jump scares are also predictable. Still, there are ample scary moments. The excellent chemistry between the lead actors and the sincerity in their performances will keep you invested in ‘Crawl’. Inspired by classic creature features, director Alexandre Aja doesn’t aim to do anything new for the genre but uses a strong setup and solid performances to deliver a tense and satisfying film for thrill-seekers.

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