CRAWL (2019) reviews and overview

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‘They were here first’

Crawl is a 2019 American action horror film directed by Alexandre Aja (Horns; Piranha 3D; Mirrors;The Hills Have Eyes; High Tension) from a screenplay written by Michael Rasmussen and Shawn Rasmussen (The Inhabitants; Dark Feed; The Ward). Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert (Evil Dead franchise) produced with Craig J. Flores.

The Ghost House Pictures production stars Kaya Scodelario, Barry Peppe, Ross Anderson and Anson Boon.

Home viewing release:

Paramount is releasing Crawl on Blu-ray and DVD on October 15th, 2019. Special features:

  • Beneath Crawl featurette
  • Category 5 Gators: The VFX of Crawl featurette
  • Alligator Attacks
  • Alternate opening
  • Introduction to an alternate opening
  • Deleted and extended scenes

Plot:

While struggling to save her father during a Category Five hurricane, a young woman (Kaya Scodelario) finds herself trapped inside a flooding house and fighting for her life against Florida’s most savage and feared predators: alligators!

Reactions and reviews:

Crawl is one of the best thrillers of the year. This fast-paced man vs. nature tale is filled with tension and it manages to do exactly what it sets out to do. The suspense builds, the actors are terrific, and the alligator is a fierce and powerful beast that will have you clenching your fists and jumping out of your seats.” Arrow in the Head

Crawl is not just a fantastic, crowd-pleasing, popcorn-spilling scary movie. If you look at it the right way it’s genuinely inspiring. But in the end, whatever meaning you’re able to wrench from it, Crawl is undeniably also just a killer alligator movie with very modest ambitions.” Bloody Disgusting

“#CrawlMovie is a fast, vicious, and nasty summer thrill ride. It plays a tight, effective game; and it’s the sort of movie that the warmer months used to deliver between blockbusters. Hot damn was it fun, and I’m ready to see it again. Oh, and see it with an audience. Worth it.” CinemaBlend

“One of the most intense motherfuckers of a theatrical experience I’ve ever had – I screamed, I swore, I tried to bite through my acrylic nails. Hell of a return to form for Alexandre Aja; as relentless and gnarly as his greats. Cannot wait to watch it again.” Collider

“#CrawlMovie is a bats***, wild summer thrill! I’m a pretty quiet movie watcher but that went out the window here. Forget “edge of your seat” – had to stop myself from jumping out of it a few times. See this one on the big screen with a packed house.” Perri Nemiroff, Collider

“Just saw @TheCrawlMovie and it was a total blast. Also, if I never step foot in Florida again, I am completely okay with that. Gators are scary, y’all.” Heather Wixson, of Daily Dead

“#CrawlMovie is an absolute blast. Taut, ferocious filmmaking. I’ve never seen a concept so simple executed with such bravado and precision.” Scott William Baumgartner,  of The Divide podcast

“#Crawl adds to an already solid summer of horror by delivering everything you want from a trapped-in-a-basement-with-alligators movie. It’s scary & thrilling, the kills are gnarly, the pacing is terrific & Kaya Scodelario sells it all splendidly. Funky, freaky & totally worth it.” Fandango

” …even B-movie genre pictures shouldn’t be this blatantly predictable and cheesy. I don’t want to have aspects of the ending of any movie figured out from watching the first two minutes, let alone something I’m watching for its ludicrous factor alone; this is the kind of movie that should surprise me, not telegraph a good chunk of its finale right from the start.” Flickering Myth

“It’s a direct, nasty, entirely unpretentious B-movie and while this remains faint, faint, faint praise given the state of the genre, it’s one of the year’s sturdiest horror films. I wouldn’t exactly urge you to run rather then crawl to see it, but a brisk walk should do.” The Guardian

” …the horror movie of the summer, an ingeniously realized creature feature classic full of Alexandre Aja’s patented combination of white knuckle suspense set pieces and gnarly gore. It delivers big time.” Moviefone

“#CrawlMovie is my kind of movie. Efficient, scary, funny, (okay, okay, kinda dumb), and with an exhilarating sense of cosmic hopelessness, where everything that could possibly go wrong does, which makes for a really good time in the theater. Definitely a film to see with a crowd.” Critically Acclaimed

Theatrical release:

Paramount Pictures brought Crawl‘s North American theatrical release date forward from August to July 12, 2019.

CJ 4DPLEX and Paramount Pictures previously announced that Crawl will be released in the immersive, multi-sensory 4DX format. The summer release of Crawl builds on successful past releases with Paramount including A Quiet Place, Mission: Impossible: Fallout, Bumblebee and Pet Sematary.

“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Crawl in our lineup this year. It will be the perfect addition to our summer slate where we know 4DX will amp up the horror and action beats, adding water, motion and all the effects, giving the film a full 4DX treatment. It’s going to be an incredible experience for moviegoers this summer to watch Crawl amplified in 4DX,” JongRyul Kim, CEO of CJ 4DPLEX.

“We can’t wait to share Crawl in 4DX with audiences this summer and expand our partnership with CJ 4DPLEX,” said Mark Viane, President of International Theatrical Distribution at Paramount Pictures. “Paramount Pictures is always looking to create new and engaging experiences for audiences, and we are excited to utilize new technologies like 4DX to showcase great stories in unique new ways.”

CJ 4DPLEX’s 4DX – www.cj4dx.com – innovative theatre technology enhances the onscreen visuals of action-packed blockbusters and haunting horror films, transcending the traditional cinema experience through special effects including motion-synchronized seats, wind, fog, rain, lightning, snow, bubbles, vibrations, and scents. The result is one of the most immersive cinema formats in the industry, drawing fans into the action on the big screen. 4DX currently reaches more than 644 locations worldwide, with 21 of those locations in the United States.

Cast and characters:

  • Kaya Scodelario … Haley Keller – Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile; The Maze Runner
  • Barry Pepper … Dave Keller – Maze Runner: The Death Cure; Monster Trucks; Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
  • Ross Anderson … Wayne Taylor
  • Anson Boon … Stan
  • George Somner … Marv
  • Ami Metcalf … Lee
  • Jose Palma … Pete
  • Morfydd Clark … Beth Keller
  • Tina Pribicevic … Young Haley
  • Annamaria Serda … Emma
  • Savannah Steyn … Lisa
  • Jovana Dragas … Susan
  • Colin McFarlane … Governor

Filming locations:

Belgrade, Serbia

Production:

The budget for Crawl was reportedly 14.5 million euros / $17 million (although Box Office Mojo states $13.5 million). Principal shooting wrapped at the beginning of September 2018.

Crawl benefitted from Serbian cash rebates, which increased to 25% at the beginning of 2018. On 30 July 2018, the president of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić visited the set together with the Ambassador of the USA in Serbia, Kyle Scott.

Image credit: Sergej Radulović / Film New Europe

Box office:

As of July 18, 2019, Crawl had taken $24,435,202 worldwide which must be disappointing to the producer’s given the budget.

Trailer:

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