Creature features are fun
I’ll say this: I’m familiar with the horror genre, but I’m not a huge fan.
Rather, I don’t seek out being terrified.
I can find enough of that in the real world.
But, creature features? Now, those…those I’m a fan of.
Especially if an actor plays said creature with makeup, prosthetics, or a suit. Pre-CGI or a low CGI project is golden for me.
I’m always fascinated to watch these actors and see the work they do behind the masks.
Think the xenomorph from Alien, zombies from Train to Busan, or the Amphibian Man from The Shape of Water, (really anything Doug Jones does), or, for this post, the Crawlers from 2005s The Descent.
They’re undercover actors, really, as Craig Conway, one of the Crawlers mentioned in the behind-the-scenes video.
Written and directed by Neil Marshall, the film spawned a less successful sequel in 2009. Which, honestly, I don’t remember terribly well.
It’s the original that sticks with me.
The short elevator pitch, if you’re not familiar, from IMDb is, “A caving expedition goes horribly wrong, as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators.”
So, lots of darkness, cramped spaces, and something alive lurking in the shadows.
Crawlers of the hidden cave
So, the Crawlers.
They may only appear for a fraction of the film, but they’re nothing short of absolutely terrifying.
Marshall insisted on casting actors instead of dancers or stunt people as he wanted them to add character.
By using facial expressions (which is a way to incorporate character movement!), these performances blend the familiar and the horrifying.
Covered head to toe in makeup, a fair share of prosthetics, these Crawlers still carry a human streak when you look closely enough.
This was intended.
The explorers, early on, come across old cave artwork, leading us to believe that the Crawlers were cave people who simply never left, evolving into what they are today.
Now, let’s get into how they move!
Firstly, (as always) a disclaimer:
I have no idea if the actors who played the Crawlers used Labanotation. Judging from behind-the-scenes footage, there was a great deal of prep involved in creating the Crawlers physically. Through what appeared to be tumbling, gymnastics, and contact improv.
So, long story short, this is my interpretation of their movement work from the lense of Labanotation.
The Crawlers and Laban
These Crawlers, they’re predators. So, naturally, they’re impeccable crawlers, right?
Truth.
The majority of the time we see them, they’re on all fours, though they can stand fully upright.
Now, the movement signature that immediately comes to mind for these creatures is:
Light, direct, and sustained.
I would consider this the baseline. There are moments where two of these opposites are employed, heavy and sudden.
Indirect doesn’t happen, though. They always have a purpose in the way they move.
So, let’s break this down:
Light
Now, light (or heavy, which is the opposite) refers to the relationship with gravity. They don’t require a whole amount of force when they attack, as an example. There’s this pounce and perch on their prey way of doing things.
They almost hug the earth beneath them when they crawl, and at the same time, they’re very light on their feet.
I’m thinking of a big cat on the prowl, light yet controlled steps forward.
We’ll add a bit of bound in here, too, as their movements are so controlled. Because, without a dash of bound, they’d simply flow freely down the cave walls, and well, that’s not very terrifying, is it?
Direct
These creatures are incredibly direct. They set their attention on something, and they become laser-focused.
Directness in movement, specifically, in this case, is a conservation of energy. So they only move when they need to.
It’s practical and makes sense. Anything less would seem off, less terrifying.
Time
Lastly, let’s talk about time.
Sudden vs sustained.
Sudden referring to a movement of short duration. There’s a burst of energy, an acceleration, or a pounce if you will. They use this often when they strike of course.
However, I would say their default is more sustained.
The moment (spoilers) when one is crouched, unknowingly over Sam and Rebecca, Sam realizing they’re blind, is when we get a lovely moment to see it up close.
It seems always to have some part of its body in motion, however subtle.
As the opposite of sudden suggests, sustained is a movement that has a longer duration. As a result, there isn’t much acceleration.
The Crawler then, well, crawls off with sustained movement. Then, a moment later, Sam’s alarm on her watch goes off, and we see in a fraction of a second the Crawler shifts into sudden.
Freedom of movement
“To let yourself go, in something like this, you have to trust your body. Although you have to be conscious of what you’re doing and choreograph certain things, there just has to be a sense of freedom. I think that’s exactly how you can confidently pull off being a ‘beast.’”-Craig Conway
There is freedom in the way that the Crawlers move.
It’s this uninhibited, primal, comfortable in their own skin kind of freedom.
After all, they are the descendants of cave people who evolved into what they are today, and their movements represent that beautifully.
They’re incredible, really.
Though you won’t find me spelunking in a cave anytime soon to find them!
