Not that Aja doesn’t infuse plenty of wit into the tense, grisly proceedings. “Let’s get those pea-brained lizard s***s!” Dave proclaims at one point (and I thought I was disrespectful to these modern-day dinosaurs). “I never thought it would end like this!” Haley cries at another, making the entire theater chuckle. Yes, no one ever really thinks their life will end in a dank, flooding basement, surrounded by ravenous reptiles – but, alas.
“If it’s pure, dumb-as-a-croc … escapism you’re after, then Crawl arguably packs more of a punch than the last two Jurassic Worlds combined…”
Whether it’s shooting an alligator through the mouth with its jaw clamped over her arm, or trapping another behind an indestructible shower panel, Scodelario carries the film with an energetic, no-holds-barred performance. She’s in almost every shot, planning out escapes and outwitting the reptiles, and she gives it her all. Pepper, on the other hand, could’ve turned it down a notch with all the hamming, his character coming off as a bit whiny and… kind of insubstantial.
But we’re not here for “substantial,” right? We’re sick of “cerebral” and are looking for “creatively, knowingly, excitingly stupid.” A guy getting torn to shreds by a pack of gators sounds awesome to us. We’re in good hands with Aja, then, and his producer, the legendary Sam Raimi (who knows a thing or two about cinematic self-awareness – and horror, of course). Seriously, if you haven’t yet – forget Lake Placid and dip your toes into those alligator-infested, turbulent waters instead.
"…dip your toes into those alligator-infested, turbulent waters..."
