Forget sharks. There’s nothing creepier than a spider dangling over an open-mouthed sleeper.
Thrillers have taken full advantage of these inky insects, from “Eight-Legged Freaks” to the more recent “Sting” and “Infested.”
The newest addition to the horror sub-genre is “Crawlers,” a movie that starts fast and never lets up. After a delirious 20 minutes, the shocker begins losing momentum. There’s still enough thrills to keep us engaged, but “Crawlers'” cult potential ebbs as the spider threat spikes.
Matilda Lutz plays Serena, the overworked maintenance guru at a sketchy apartment complex. She’s leered at by her boss and hassled by too many tenants.
Nothing seems to work in the building, and everyone blames Serena.
Her plight wins us over, as does her plucky spirit in the face of such boorish behavior. She bonds with a few neighbors, including an S&M diva and a sleep-deprived dad.
Unbeknownst to Serena, a tenant just died under mysterious circumstances. The health department rushes in, take one long look at the man’s blackened corpse and seals off the building.
It’s COVID-19 redux, one furious resident cries. That, and a brief rant about “Communism,” suggest screenwriter Jayson Rothwell (2012’s “Silent Night”) has something to say above and beyond, “eeek! A spider!”
Nothing doing, although our conspiracy culture makes the hamfisted health protocols feel all too real. At least no one is forced to stand six feet apart.
To Rothwell’s credit, the story efficiently establishes our Final Girl heroine and some wry supporting players. And boy, does the film have a mean streak.
Even better is how director Angel Gómez Hernández leverages a modest budget to hang with the big horror boys. “Crawlers” looks great, and the early scenes where the tenants come this-close to death are predictable but exhilirating.
Each and every spider closeup is too real for comfort.
A man walked around Screamfest LA with a box of live tarantulas on his head to promote ‘CRAWLERS’.
The horror film follows a massive infestation of venomous spiders that sends an entire apartment building into lockdown. https://t.co/cIANhUkAwW
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 14, 2026
Another nice surprise? The nasty prologue makes fine use of an old-school fan to build atmosphere, simultaneously teasing the source of the spider menace.
We barely have time to breathe once the story starts. That’s actually a narrative problem.
Rather than let the spider threat slowly build, the insects ransack the building in what seems like minutes. It’s all too fast, and the story doesn’t have enough interesting elements to keep pace.
“Crawlers” still boasts a bleak sense of humor, including how Serena protects herself in the film’s waning moments. A key character just so happens to be watching an old-school spider thriller on her TV (1955’s “Tarantula,” perhaps?), unaware of the arachnids lurking nearby.
Too on the nose? Sure. A meta treat? Absolutely.
Lutz deserves credit for building a relatable heroine amidst the rising body count. Her character mourns for her late mother and tries to bond with a teen disconnected from her own mom.
What could have played out as perfunctory or glib actually lands. That’s not easy in a busy genre film like this.
“Crawlers” can’t live up to its tasty first act, but there’s enough spidery chills to keep us watching (and scratching at unseen bugs along the way).
HiT or Miss: 3 out of 5 stars
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Runtime: 86 minutes
Where to Watch: In theaters Oct. 16
Family Friendly? R –(Gore, blood, violent imagery and disturbing themes
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