Crawl (2011 film)


Crawl is a 2011 Australian suspense-thriller written, produced and directed by Paul China and Benjamin China. The film is the China Brothers debut feature, and stars George Shevtsov, Georgina Haig and Paul Holmes.

Plot

Slim Walding, a bar owner, hires a Croatian to kill an acquaintance over an unpaid debt. The crime is carried out, but the culprit leaves behind the murder weapon, an antique pistol belonging to Slim. As the Croatian makes his getaway, he accidentally runs down a stranded motorist. The murderer seeks refuge at a nearby, isolated house, where he holds a young woman, Marilyn Burns, hostage.
The Croatian learns that Marilyn's fiancé is the motorist he has killed. To escape on a motorcycle, he returns to the crash site to retrieve the man's keys. There, the Croatian murders the fiancé, after discovering he is still alive. Later, Slim realizes that his prized pistol has been stolen and that he has been set up. Learning the Croatian's whereabouts, he heads off looking for revenge. At the house, however, after freeing bound-and-gagged Marilyn, Slim is killed when the Croatian unexpectedly attacks him with an axe. Marilyn then kills the Croatian.

Cast

The film was shot on location in Queensland, Australia in late 2010.

Soundtrack

Australian composer Christopher Gordon scored the film.

Release

Crawl played at over thirty international film festivals, including Sitges Film Festival in Spain, FrightFest in the UK, and Brisbane International Film Festival in Australia. Bloody Disgusting released the film in the US on 1 September 2012, and Arrow Films released the film theatrically in the UK on 22 February 2013.

Reception

Crawl has received positive reviews from critics, scoring a 63% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on eight reviews, with an average score of 4.86/10. Sean Decker of Dread Central said the film ″rivals No Country For Old Men in gritty style and suspense″ and was an ″assured Hitchcockian slow-burn.″ Journalist Alan Jones awarded the film four stars saying ″not since the Coen Brothers' Blood Simple has there been a more exciting thriller debut...a nail-bitingly effective study in slow-burning terror...scary, sly and sexy...a twisted and skillful homage to film noir.″

Accolades