Crawl: Paramount Scares – Volume 1 (4K UHD Review)
- Review Date: Nov 15, 2024
- Format: 4K Ultra HD
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Director
Alexandre AjaRelease Date(s)
2019 (October 24, 2023)Studio(s)
Raimi Productions/Fire Axe Pictures (Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment)- Film/Program Grade: D+
- Video Grade: A+
- Audio Grade: A
- Extras Grade: C-
Review
[Editor’s Note: Though we’re reviewing each of the films in the Paramount Scares: Volume 1 set one at a time, Crawl is also available in a separate physical 4K disc release, as well.]
Crawl was a return of sorts for director Alexandre Aja, who had previously helmed High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes, and Piranha 3D. It didn’t light up the box office upon its initial release, but it did manage to make its money back, catching the attention and appreciation of Quentin Tarantino, and finding a small audience for it that continues to grow.
When a Category 5 hurricane menaces the state of Florida, Haley attempts to rescue her estranged father against the warnings of the police. Threatened by heavy rain, wind, debris, and rising flood waters, she eventually finds him in the crawlspace of a house where he’s trying to stave off attacks from two large alligators that have escaped from the swamps nearby. It’s a struggle for survival as they try to signal for help and find a way out before they become dinner.
First and foremost, this isn’t a Jaws type of film where the monster is kept in the shadows to build a sense of dread. Instead, it’s a schlock horror movie that wants to show off everything, sacrificing terror for gory CGI spectacle. The idea of trying to survive a pair of attacking alligators during a hurricane is certainly a fresh idea (in a monster movie sort of way), but the execution is subpar in certain areas. Besides the multitude of totally unbelievable events and elements (all chalked up to schlock, of course), the visual effects can be a mixed bag. Some involving the alligators are fairly believable, depending on how they’re lit, while others look almost cartoon-ish.
Not to be overlooked are the performances. Kaya Scodelario really goes for it, scuttling around on her hands and knees for the majority of the running time. However, the dynamic between her and her father (played by Barry Pepper) is movie-of-the-week territory at best. There’s a sense of division between them that’s never really explored, and what’s there feels out of place after an alligator attack or two. As such, the actors feel stunted on an emotional level for no reason.
What Crawl manages to do well enough is convey a sense of isolation within a closed space where the water is rising, giving the plot a ticking clock element, as well as a claustrophobic bent. One sequence that doesn’t involve the lead characters wherein the alligators attack their prey unseen is the most effective moment in terms of genuine suspense, but most of the other attacks are in your face and not at all subtle. In essence, Crawl can be enjoyed for its less than stellar sensibilities, but for others, it may come across as ineffective, depending upon personal taste. Yet at a lean 87 minutes, it’s no burdensome task.
Crawl was captured digitally by cinematographer Maxime Alexandre in the ARRIRAW (3.4K) codec using Arri Alexa Mini & SXT cameras with Leitz Summilux-C and Arri/Fujinon Alura lenses. The results were finished as a 4K Digital Intermediate at the aspect ratio of 2.39:1. Paramount debuts the film on 4K Ultra HD, graded for High Dynamic Range (HDR10 and Dolby Vision options are included), and presented on a dual-layered BD-66 disc. It’s a virtually perfect presentation of the film that leaves no room for complaint. Every last rain-soaked, slime-covered, bloody detail is on full display with a multitude of textures on both objects and people. The color palette leans toward slightly monochromatic, but skin tones are natural and black levels are inky deep without any obvious crush, thanks in no small part to the HDR passes. Brightness and contrast levels are ideal and there are no obvious encoding issues to be seen.
The same goes for the audio, the main option of which is English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. It’s a dominant sonic experience with activity happening all around the sound stage. Dialogue is mostly clear and discernible, though a tad lost in a couple of more exhilarating and busy moments, while the score is boisterous in a few areas. Sound effects, specifically those utilizing the low end, are frequent and powerful. From the gusting winds and driving rain to the pitter-patter of water droplets, it offers a vast range of aural activity that’s quite enveloping. Other audio options include an English Descriptive track, as well as Spanish (Latin American), French (Canadian), Japanese, Portuguese (Brazilian), and Thai 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks. Subtitle options include English, English SDH, Malaysian, Cantonese, Spanish (Latin American), French (Canadian), Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese (Brazilian), and Thai.
The 4K Ultra HD release of Crawl is available in its own separate package (which also includes a DVD copy of the film), as well as the Paramount Scares: Volume 1 boxed set, along with the other films Rosemary’s Baby, Pet Sematary (1989), Smile, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). Also included in this set is a Special Paramount Scares Collector’s Edition of Fangoria magazine, which covers all five films, a page of stickers, and a Paramount Scares enamel pin. Each UHD is included in its own black Amaray case with a Digital Code on a paper insert inside each case, as well as a slipcover. Everything is housed in a large rectangular chipboard box. The extras for Crawl included the following, all in HD:
- Intro to Alternate Opening with Director Alexandre Aja (:25)
- Alternate Opening (4:49)
- Deleted and Extended Scenes (3 in all – 6:03)
- Beneath Crawl (28:05)
- Category 5 Gators: The VFX of Crawl (11:37)
- Alligator Attacks (1:32)
The Alternate Opening is a motion comic of a family attempting to escape Florida flood waters and getting away from the alligators. The Deleted and Extended Scenes are brief trims while Beneath Crawl and Category 5 are decent featurettes about the making of the film with the cast and crew, including Alexandre Aja, producer Sam Raimi, screenwriters Shawn Rasmussen and Michael Rasmussen, and actors Barry Pepper and Kara Scodelario. Alligator Attacks is a compilation of all the moments of onscreen alligator carnage.
Crawl is certainly the kind of crowd-pleaser that will mostly satisfy only one kind of crowd. It’s definitely not sophisticated, nor does it have a deeper meaning, but if you enjoy surface level cheese, it’s bound to have you licking your chops for more.
- Tim Salmons
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