If decades past were golden for the cheesy fun of low-budget B-movie monster films, "Crawl" is the more polished modern take with a more gritty delivery. Kaya Scodelario plays the protagonist, Haley, and gives a tremendous performance that demands a significant amount of energy and focus as much of her action is done without dialogue. The swimming background is an important piece of context that is introduced right at the beginning and makes perfect sense given the film's premise of having to battle giant alligators.

Director Alexandre Aja is consistent in his work being in the horror genre. My personal favourite is the film "Horns" (starring Daniel Radcliffe) but what was particularly great about him doing this new film is that he had the rare gift of being able to have his complete vision released to the public without any producer/studio cuts or interference. It's a simple, straight-forward concept but there's still some deeper poetry to Haley's character journey throughout the film as she fights to survive the elements and the creatures that come after her (the alligators have risen to the level of human homes because of a hurricane). Though there are a few more jump scares than what I typically like to experience in a film, the overall pacing is well-organised as the tension builds up towards the bigger scares. Any horror fan should enjoy this summer contribution to the genre.

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Based on Joe Hill's novel of the same name, Horns is a dark fantasy thriller film starring Daniel Radcliffe as Ig Perrish. After Ig is accused of raping and murdering his girlfriend, he wakes with two horns protruding from his head that give the supernatural ability to compel people to reveal their deepest secrets. The film also stars Juno Temple as Merrin Williams, Ig's late girlfriend. Daniel Radcliffe, author Joe Hill, and director Alexandre Aja were all present for a Friday panel in Hall H at SDCC 2014. This marked Daniel Radcliffe's first appearance at the con.

The following interview is with director Alexandre Aja, who is also famous for directing other horror films such as "The Hills Have Eyes," "Mirrors," and "Piranha 3D." Aja discussed why he wanted to adapt the book into a film, the blending of genres in the story and the subtext within it, the consulting done with author Joe Hill, what it was like to work with Daniel Radcliffe, the issue of violence in film, researching Christian mythology, his perceptions of human nature, the use of snakes and the corresponding difficulties of using live animals in a film, and his thoughts on Comic Con.



Horns will be released in theatres on 31 October 2014.

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