Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2018
Images from the Internet unless indicated
The Girl in the Crawlspace
Written and directed by John Oak Dalton
New Dynamic Pictures
76 minutes, 2018
One of my favorite aspects of
centralized indie cinema is how a local scene forms and then spirals into
growth for everyone, much like a music locale. In the Indiana area where this
film takes place, there is a group of filmmakers whose work strongly overlaps.
On the director side there is Henrique Couto (who produced this and was
Director of Photography) and Dustin Mills (who, as far as I know, has nothing directly
to do with this one); as for John Oak Dalton, he’s written a few of the films directed
those I’ve just mentioned, and this is his own directorial debut. There is also
an acting pool that tends to overlap as well, especially the centerpiece of The Girl in the Crawlspace [TGitC], Erin
R. Ryan, whose fan base is growing.
 |
| John Hambrick, Erin R. Ryan, Joni Durian |
When we approach the story for TGitC, the horrific events of Jill
(Ryan) are in the past, and she has escaped from the Crawlspace Killer after 7
years of captivity. Now, to paraphrase the Dusty Springfield song, “She just
don’t know what to do with herself” thanks to a heavy and understandable dose
of PTSD This is the spine of the story, but actually, Jill isn’t even the
central character.
More than a “horror film,” this is an
intense, tight psychological drama focusing more on Kristin/Kitty (Joni
Durian), a psychologist who had moved from this same small town to Hollywood,
and has now come back after inheriting the family home. She has set up a
therapy practice based on the families of the serial killer’s victims, who were
mostly young boys and Jill.
Kristin has brought along the other
main focus of the film, her husband Johnny (John Hambrick, who co-starred in
Couto’s 2017 Devil’s Trail) who has
quite the history on his own: he’s a semi-successful screenwriter with writer’s
block since he’s joined Narcotics Anonymous, and is not exactly what one would
call a reliable partner. Okay, he’s a douche nozzle that either can’t or won’t
grasp what is socially acceptable living in a small town.
The last major character is the
Sheriff, Woody (Tom Cherry, who also was Casting Director). He’s a bit slow and
a good-hearted, and actually quite likeable. He’s also the guy who killed the
Crawlspace Killer, so Kristin worries about his First Responder PTSD.
This is a sharply written and directed
first feature, and it bodes well for possibilities of the shapes of things to
come. Dalton plays with the experience for the viewer, keeping the viewer off
balance with red herrings and working the psycho-trauma tropes that we fans are
so used to, and adding something new all the time. At least four times I
thought I figured out the ending, and three times I was wrong, but my errors
were also addressed within the storyline. How cool.
There is also a bit of social
commentary that doesn’t hit you over the head with self-righteousness, but
rather keeps it in the public eye. For example, there is a slight focus on the
fragility of Mexican migrant workers and how they can easily be exploited, as
they have been; it’s ironic talking about taking kids from families and then
the government starts to do it to reinforce the notion.
Working with an experienced filmmaker
like Couto also brings out some really nice moments, such as Kristin and Johnny
arguing in near yellow silhouette in a living room, in front of lamps and a
curtained window as the camera rolls back and forth between them. There are
little gem moments like that throughout.
The weak point to me in the film’s
story is the fluidity of lack of patient/doctor (psychologist) confidentiality.
For example, Kristen is too willing to share her own narrative with her patients,
even if she grew up with them in her life; you talk about it in social
gatherings, not during paying sessions, which is a serious breach of trust. She
also talks way too much to Johnny about Jill, especially considering the couple’s
relationship. I work in a not-for-profit, and I would never discuss my clients
with anyone other than getting advice
from my boss – and that’s without p/d
legalities. However, in cinematic poetic
license, I understand talking to someone onscreen is the equivalent to
telling the audience what a character is thinking.
One of my favorite aspects of this
film is that it delves into the Tarantino-esque trivia knowledge of a film fan
(not just horror, though there is especially that), with different characters spouting
actor’s roles in specific films. Note that if you are not one of these encyclopaedia-level
nerds (like me), this aspect is not overwhelming and doesn’t take a single
thing away from the story or events, but if you are… well, for me, my find was
racing to answer my own list. The moments of RPG (role playing games) is
similar in that while it’s somewhat key to the story, it actually does not
matter if you’ve ever played one (I have no interest), it’s just a cool shade to the film.
Another commentary I want to discuss
is a group rant about Hollywood’s somewhat “sucking at the dry teat” of horror
sequels. Yes, that’s a direct quote from the film, and I agree wholeheartedly.
 |
| Ryan, photographed by Henrique Couto |
The last thing I want to bring up is
how much I was impressed by Ryan’s performance. I’ve seen her in a few indies
now (and as usual, dressed in red), and I do believe this is one of the more
nuanced acting I’ve seen from her, and I want to acknowledge that. Though not
the not the main focus of the film, as I said, she’s its shadow, coming in at moments to change the direction of the story.
I love it when a film surprises me in
its subtly among the mind games. There is no gore and very little blood, an
implied body count, a generally attractive cast, and an ending that is quite
satisfying.
No comments:
Post a Comment