CRAWL: B

High Tension director Alexandre Aja’s latest film is an efficient, lean thriller. Following a father and daughter (Barry Pepper and Kaya Scodelario) who are trapped in a house by alligators during a Florida hurricane, Crawl melds well-placed scares and pathos. Backstory informing their strained relationship allows the audience to care for them, a necessity in genre pictures of this variety. Surprisingly, some characters miraculously retain limbs despite great injury. Although pacing and tone issues exist, the film serves as a textbook example on how to effectively build and release tension. Most importantly, Crawl reawakens our fear of being eaten alive.

Sean Woodard, Film Editor