Crawl is a very American movie, mostly in that it’s about alligators attacking people stranded by hurricane floodwaters in Florida. It’s another “man vs. Nature” creature feature, similar to Rogue, but one made with very American sensibilities in mind. 

• Directed by: Alexandre Aja
• Written by: Michael Rasmussen. Shawn Rasmussen
• Starring: Kaya Scodelario. Barry Pepper. Morfydd Clark

To get the most important point out of the way: in Crawl, the dog lives.  Now that we’ve covered that, it’s a bit of an unfair comparison. Other than they are both movies about crocodilian predators, they couldn’t be more different. They do highlight some interesting sensibilities in cultural storytelling, as well as how some basic concepts can be molded into a variety of different stories. 

Crawl is a popcorn movie first. It has no regard for physics or reality, not that there is anything wrong with that. Honestly, if you looked at the poster for this movie and though you were getting an in-depth analysis on how climate change draws predators to suburban environments, I don’t know what to tell you. 

This is a movie about alligators eating people while a father and daughter repair their relationship. It’s a fun movie, but it’s not a realistic one. But again, we don’t care about that. 

What we Care about is Alligators!

They look great. I like the CG here, and they have some effective jump scares. Please note that I did say alligators, as in plural, because there are multiple of these guys lurking around. Much of the movie takes place in a flooding basement while an alligator stalks them. It’s effective and fun, even if Barry Pepper spends a lot of time getting dragged around on a tarp. 

We also kind of care about the family too. They’re antagonistic with each other but feel realistic enough. The daughter, Haley, is the core of the movie. She’s a competitive swimmer. Her dad calls her an apex predator, but she’s lost confidence in herself. This will totally be a reoccurring theme of the movie, which they discuss a lot. 

Survival American Style

This is important though, because like Rogue, Crawl is a survival movie, just a bit of a different kind.  It’s tight and contained. Every part of the movie shows the situation closing in around the main characters. From the additions of extra alligators to the rising waters, nature is trapping them in their old home,  metaphorically trapping them in their old resentments and hostilities. But, that may be a bit much for a movie where someone fixes a broken leg with a wrench or outswims a gator. 

It’s also a movie that needs to introduce new characters to establish a body count. Since we like our main characters, we need some looters to be punished. We know they’re especially bad since they steal gas station sunglasses. I don’t know when this became shorthand for “dickhead”, but I don’t make the rules. 

Honestly, watching looters get eaten by alligators isn’t the worst way to spend my time. It’s a well-filmed sequence, with some actual humor to it. When the police show up, they meet a similar fate.  They deserved it less than the looters, but it’s awesome all the same (the visuals, not that police were being eaten). 

The Rule of Cool

There used to be a rule, a guideline really, where if something in fiction was cool enough, the creator could get away with it. This forgives all kinds of physics issues or plot holes. This also seems to be pre-mainstream internet, when everyone has strong opinions about everything.  I’m a firm and fast believer in the Rule of Cool, but only when it’s cool enough. 

So, does Crawl present us with a cool enough element to justify the less realistic elements? There are some moments where it comes close. Ultimately the climax doesn’t quite reach the intensity it needs to in order to truly land. It could have worked if the boat sequence was truly the climax. But it’s not.  

See, Haley overcomes her mental block about her abilities and outswims the alligators, thus completing her character arc. She’s already resolved her issues with her dad. So, this should be the final piece! Triumphant and yes, wildly unrealistic, but so cool when she pulls it off! But it’s for nothing, because she ends up back in the house.  Now she has to solve her alligator issues in a way that doesn’t connect with her arc.  I know, I’m overthinking, but these are the elements that separate good, fun movies from truly memorable ones. 

The critical misstep is leaving the basement only to return again. Rather than building towards an awesome climax, it’s become repetitive.  H3 also notes that they are terrible at being alligators in that they only really wound Haley. I think they’re just full. 

It’s interesting that Alexander Aja directed this, because he is one of the cooler and more visually remarkable directors. I wish it had more of the grit of Hill of Eyes or the charm of Mirrors..

Final Thoughts

Crawl is fun, it’s just not great. It got a sequel that I never watched. And this summer, a completely unrelated movie is bringing us sharks in a hurricane. If you’re main interest is great looking CG and man vs. alligator fights, this is a good time. If you want a more grounded take, try Rogue. 

Crawl is available on streaming.