Trent Sky
If you were thinking that Saint Patrick’s Day is a unique backdrop for an alien invasion horror movie, you’d be right. Historically, the few horror movies that do center around the holiday usually have a “killer leprechaun” plot, which makes the body-swapping alien concept of Hulu’s “Crawlers” so unique. Set in the town of Emerald Springs, “Crawlers” features a group of college kids who discover that their town is slowly being replaced by body-stealing extraterrestrials.
“It all happened a year ago. Saint Patrick’s day, actually. Coincidentally, the same day that a meteor crashed into our town back in the 70s. It was supposed to just be a night of college kids getting drunk, but a lot of people died, like, a lot of people.” -Shauna
The movie follows Shauna (Giorgia Whigham) and Misty (Pepi Sonuga) as they team up to save a mutual friend during the town’s annual night of heavy drinking and bad decisions. As they get closer to finding their friend (Chloe played by Jude Demorest), they notice townsfolk exhibiting odd behavior. After a physical altercation with a suspiciously unhelpful and overly aggressive police officer, it is revealed that there are green-blooded, human-looking aliens taking over the town. From here, the movie truly shifts gears with Shauna and Misty teaming up with some unlikely classmate allies in an effort to rescue Chloe and destroy the meteor that brought the extraterrestrials.
One aspect that stands out early is its horror-themed, electropop soundtrack. Songs like “There Will Be Blood” by Kim Petras and “Bad Luck” by Indiana complement the bright, fun tone “Crawlers” uses to distance itself from other entries in Hulu’s Into the Dark series. The movie also frequently visits colorful settings, such as bars, party houses, and raves, visually bathing scenes in bright green. These stylistic choices give the movie a punk pulse that mirrors the main character’s anti-authoritarian personality, making the movie feel like a rebellion against normalcy.
Though the movie certainly acts as a diamond in the rough when compared to others within the Hulu anthology series, it isn’t perfect. As to be expected with any low-budget project that features a mostly unknown cast, the execution could’ve been better. Its primary issue is that the majority of the characters feel empty. The characters that aren’t entirely hollow have their stories rushed through incredibly quickly. One character explains his entire risque backstory AND undergoes a redemption arc all within the course of two minutes. There’s also an emphasis on the act of flesh-eating early on, but there is minimal gore outside of occasional green goo. The promise of violence is made yet again later in the movie during a dubstep-heavy weapons montage, though most of the weapons are never used.
Alternatively, “Crawlers” does a lot right. By revolving around a group of college kids, there are lots of opportunities to watch typical young-adult shenanigans clash with the fun backdrop of an alien invasion. Some characters are concerned with survival, while others are focused on exposing the truth. Some space out entirely, getting blackout drunk while the town collapses around them. Lastly, Giorgia Whigham’s grounded (but not overly serious) performance and Brandon Zuck’s confidence, which is impressive for a directorial debut, help hold the film’s sillier elements together. Ultimately, “Crawlers” serves as a much-needed reminder that in a sea of blockbusters, even a low-budget movie with an interesting combination of ideas can make for a fun movie night.
