While quarantining at a Thailand hotel, guests begin disappearing with no explanation from staff, leaving the group to wonder whether there may be some truth to local urban legends about a terrifying creature rumored to possess its victims.
“Creepy Crawly” takes place at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdowns in Thailand. Guests coming into the city are expected to quarantine for two weeks in a designated hotel, but shortly after a small busload of people arrive, they mysteriously begin disappearing. With nothing but blood trails left behind, a small group of people set out within the confines of the hotel to discover what is happening, only to learn of a local urban legend about a mysterious creature that can possess a human. Initially skeptical, as more and more people vanish, the group slowly begins to realize that the urban legend may not be a myth after all.
“Creepy Crawly” follows in the footsteps of John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” where the creature kills its victim, discards the body, and then assimilates the person, giving the impression they’re still alive until it comes into contact with the next person, consuming them and so on and so forth. While it’s most certainly a homage to Carpenter, the film fails to deliver. The creature takes on the appearance of a giant centipede, and for the most part, the shoddy CGI takes away from what could have been a fun creature feature. The acting is mediocre at best, and the special effects leave much to be desired.
“The Thing” worked because of its amazing practical effects and because the film was imbued with paranoia and apprehension. Carpenter took his time introducing us to the twelve men in the Antarctic outpost, so when the thing started assimilating various characters, we genuinely mourned their loss and cared about the remaining survivors. Here, directors Chalit Krileadmongkon and Pakphum Wongjinda waste no time beginning the blood and carnage, leaving no time to introduce the characters properly. They usher in a perfunctory tragic backstory to three of the characters who are part of the same family, but it never feels authentic, more like a desperate attempt at some much-needed character exposition.
Ultimately, “Creepy Crawly” delivers a film that encompasses a better premise than the finished product. Everything about the movie feels rushed: the acting, cinematography, story, special effects, they all feel superficial and not in the least bit within the realms of possibility. Here’s hoping that directors Chalit Krileadmongkon and Pakphum Wongjinda’s next film will put this travesty out of our minds.
Available on Blu-ray™, DVD, and Digital October 3rd
