It’s March 2020, three months into the COVID-19 outbreak. A group of about two dozen people have been bussed to the Srichanpen Hotel in Bangkok to isolate individually and quarantine for 14 days. Among those in the group are YouTuber Fame (Chanya McClory) and her brother Fiew (Benjamin Joseph Varney). While all of those being quarantined are supposed to be free of any illnesses, Fame appears to be hiding the fact that she has some sort of preexisting blood disease. Other guests include siblings Leo (Mike Angelo) and Lena (Kulteera Yordchang), and their deaf father (Paramej Noiam). Leo has a chemical imbalance and is quick to anger, though he usually vents this through martial arts. Leo still blames his father for the death of his mother years earlier, and so the two don’t really talk.
The night manager, Prawit (David Asavanond), is more concerned about taking care of a wealthy guest staying in the hotel with his mistress, rather than those there for quarantine. He is eager to just fill the rooms and get his money, but there’s not enough cleaning staff to properly take care of things. So it’s not really a surprise when the maids discovers large bugs in one of the rooms. However, they will soon discover that these aren’t just any bugs. As one of the guests watches a nature special on TV, the host talks about the ancient legend of the Tabongplum. These large centipede-like bugs survive by possessing a human body and sucking its blood dry. The creatures then discard the old body and find a new one to possess, growing bigger and stronger each time.
As the quarantined guests sneak out of their rooms for a smoke, or to chat with their family members, they soon discover that something isn’t right in the hotel. Staff members and guests are going missing, mutilated bodies are popping up here and there, and some kind of giant bug creature appears to be responsible. While it may seem to ridiculous to be true, some have seen it with their own eyes and can’t deny what they are up against. However, since the creature changes its appearance with he new body it possesses, no one is sure who they can trust and who may be the creature in disguise. Fearing for their lives, the guests attempt to fight back and escape, but the night manager wants to cover things up and avoid the cops.
The premise of Creepy Crawly is a great one, though the film seems a bit confused as to what type of movie it wants to be at times. Initially, it starts off as this Mimic-like film, with this giant bug that stalks its prey disguised as a human. This leads to some tense moments as you never quite know who has been possessed until it’s too late, when their eyes go black and they attack their next victim. These kill scenes are quite well done, Less is more when it comes to the attacks—they often either happen off screen, or we just get a partial glimpse of the creature as one of its legs stabs its victim. But the audio track provides this unsettling chittering as the creature approaches and attacks. It’s not until later in the film that we get to see the creature in its entirety.
In the middle of the movie, things seem to temporarily change, with the hotel being overrun by thousands of smaller centipede creatures, crawling on every surface, chasing after the guests. While this infestation kind of horror would also make a great movie, it didn’t really fit in with the story that had been told up to that point. That said, the effects for the creepy crawly bugs are really well done, and had me squirming quite a bit. But after this short interlude, the film gets back to the one giant body-hopping bug again. However, the rules laid out by the nature program we were shown at the start of the movie no longer seem to be followed, which removes some of the stakes and believability.
Mixed in with the bug horror movie is also a character drama, exploring the relationships and backstories of some of the guests and staff. We often get flashbacks to Leo as a child with his mother in the hospital, to see why he is so angry. We are also told he’s a karate champ, so when he’s fighting off the creature later in the film, it’s not totally out of the blue. We also see some of the personal issues the nurses stationed at the hotel are struggling with. However, the film never really delves into or explains the background or mystery illness of Fame and her brother. Some of the other side stories like the rich hotel guest also don’t really go anywhere. And there’s an epilogue at the end that makes little-to-no-sense based on what happened in the movie. It doesn’t feel earned, but rather is just there to set up a potential sequel.
Well Go’s Blu-ray release offers the film only in its original Thai language track. However, the English subtitles are very well written and easy to follow. The audio track sounds great, making excellent use of the stereo and surround channels to really bring the action and horror to life, especially that creepy chittering of the bugs. The picture quality is also very good, with a clean, clear picture and solid level of detail throughout.
Well Go’s Blu-ray release is barebones, just including the film’s trailer and some previews for three other Well Go releases as bonus material. The disc comes packed in a locking HD keepcase, and doesn’t include a digital copy. Our review copy did not include a slipcover.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:31:57)
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Blu-ray:
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
- Audio: Thai DTS-HDMA 5.1, Thai Stereo
- Subtitles: English
Extras:
- Trailer (2:07)
- Previews
- Gangnam Zombie (2:05)
- Forgotten Experiment (2:28)
- Bad City (1:54)
Final Thoughts:
Creepy Crawly has some great horror elements to it, but gets a bit confused at times as to what kind of film it wants to be, and also breaks some of the creature rules it sets up early on in the film. That said, it’s still an entertaining watch for horror fans who don’t mind getting creeped out by bugs. Well Go’s Blu-ray looks and sounds great, but doesn’t include any bonus material.
Creepy Crawly
27% Off $14.99 $11.00 (as of November 14, 2024 23:02 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Creepy Crawly
$19.62 $13.99 (as of November 14, 2024 23:02 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
