Since May 10 I’ve known that CRAWL was going to be spectacular. I watched it yesterday and I am happy to report that it was way more than spectacular, it was perfect.
I would like to begin by quoting Sam Raimi, Horror Film Maker extraordinaire and Producer of CRAWL (2019), because he put into words [when interviewed about this movie] exactly why Horror is so enjoyable to watch:
“I love the effect that Horror movies have in the audience. They really seem to have so much fun when they go to them, you know, they giggle, they grab each other, they’re holding hands, they cover themselves in coats. It’s such a visceral, theatrical, entertaining experience to be in a Horror film. Now there’s other films that are more emotional, more much powerful, subtle, and affect you deeply but Horror film is just like going on a roller coaster, and just a raw blast. That’s what I love about it.” –Sam Raimi
And indeed CRAWL was as exhilarating as a roller coaster, and a total a blast to watch! Okay ladies, hold on to your panties, *SPOILERS* ahead.
Haley is a college student on a swimming team scholarship. Swimming is a great part of her life and we quickly learn via flashbacks that she has been competing since she was a little kid, coached by her dad. Today Haley must excel in order to keep her scholarship. But she doesn’t, and only comes in second. As we see her take in the news of her uncertain academic future, we hear the voice of her dad saying, “Don’t let them see you cry, remember who you are – Apex Predator.”
Immediately after the competition, Haley receives a call from her sister Beth from Boston as she would like to check on her and their dad since a category 5 hurricane is about to hit Florida. Haley is surprised by the newly developed weather news as they had been told it was not going to be that strong of a hurricane. Beth confesses to Haley that she actually has not been able to reach their dad, and Haley tells her that she has not contacted Dave, their dad, for a long time—they had a fall out—but that he is probably okay. Beth insists she is worried about him and Haley decides to drive two hours to go look for him.
Haley finally arrives to her childhood home, not without first having stopped at Dave’s messy empty condo and taken his dog, Sugar, with her, and after having broken the law by accessing an evacuated and closed road. Haley knew that Dave must have returned to the old house, now in Escrow, as he was having difficulty adapting to the divorce. Dave was lonely (no wife, oldest daughter living in Boston, youngest away in college and estranged from him) and he was also drinking too much. Dave was in a bad place and Haley knew it.
When Haley found Dave thanks to Sugar’s help, he was lying unconscious under the house in the crawl space and was badly hurt on his shoulder. Haley, being the smart woman that she was, came up with a solution to drag Dave across the muddy (and disgusting) crawl space with a tarp until OH MY GOD (!!) an alligator appears and starts charging her so Haley hauls ass back to the safe corner of the crawl space, rendering her and her unconscious dad prey of this ferocious huge animal!
And let’s not forget that a category 5 hurricane was about to hit the area so there was already a lot of rain flooding Florida, which, may I remind you, is built barely at sea level (with some areas actually under sea level) which is terrifying when you are having a water-related natural disaster on a coastal zone. So yeah, that safe crawl space was flooding fast.
By the way, when Dave woke up and said, “Beth, is that you?,” we, the audience, were informed by Haley’s face that she was deeply hurt by it, but that was quickly forgotten after the shock of seeing his badly broken leg! As it turned out, Dave was attacked by the alligator which got in via the vent well that Dave was there to repair in the first place (he worked in construction), so when the alligator attacked him and grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him, the animal got tangled in the pipes and that’s when Dave could escape its grip but not without breaking his leg in the process.
This is when Haley realizes it was going to be more difficult to get out of there than originally expected: a hurricane is coming, rain is down pouring, the crawl space is flooding quickly, her dad—who confused her with her sister after having driven two long hours to find him—has a bad shoulder and a busted leg, and to top it all off, there is an alligator waiting to attack them. And she cannot call 911 either because she dropped her phone when trying to run away from the nasty animal. Oh yeah, even if she could call no one would come help them as the whole neighborhood was evacuated. And did I mention that she lost the swimming competition that same morning and that she was about to say goodbye to her college scholarship? Hell, you could say that when it rains it pours for Haley.
And the bad luck was not done yet.
It turns out there was an Alligator Farm near by (yes, people, they exist in real life!) and due to the hurricane finally arriving with a tidal wave force, several alligators were now in the residential area of Coral Lake and hunting Haley and Dave.
[SIDE NOTE: I personally think that the movie did an excellent job at presenting the most basic and real fear for us humans –the fear of invasion. Someone, or something, breaking into your home and causing you harm. The fact that they used Animal vs. Man, the Wild vs. the Domestic, Prehistoric vs. Modern, was a fresh take on this scary topic.]
Honestly, at this point in the movie I was already exhausted for Haley. I mean, she tried different things to not only bring herself to safety but also her injured dad and even the dog. Then more things took place in order for her to overcome and survive the alligators one more time: she managed to use the vent well as an exit, got inside the actual house, broke the wooden floor right above her dad (again, thanks to Sugar’s help), pulled her dad, revived him after almost drowning, and then both of them were able to get to a boat to only end up getting pushed back into the same house thanks to a tidal wave courtesy of the hurricane! What!? Are you kidding me!? I mean, I needed a time out on their behalf after this…
Okay, okay, I am not going to talk about the ending but I will say that it made me cry and I am so happy it did. This is why I watch Horror movies! I love being pulled into a real, grounded, human story with surrounding elements of the supernatural and/or violence because it tricks my brain into believing—if just for a moment—that what my eyes are seeing is plausible. So, a damaged father-daughter relationship being mended thanks to a category 5 hurricane and a bunch of ferocious alligators? Um, yes please!
In case I did not make myself clear, CRAWL was a perfect movie in my opinion and I will go as far as saying that it has been the best Horror release of 2019. You give me a relatable story led by a strong, smart, kind, independent woman, paired with good writing, great directing, and high production value and, baby, you will forever have my loyalty and admiration. Here’s to all my Apex Predators out there!
In Love and Fear,
-Marath
© 2016-2019