Insidiously simple, compact and clever, this killer alligator movie, with slowly rising waters, is relentless and absolutely terrifying. It is the best film of director Alexandre Aja‘s career. Maybe Hell in the storm It may have little to say about the world – except perhaps a hint at the dangers of climate change – but what it does, it does exceptionally well. Screenwriting brothers Michael and Shawn Rasmussen spend little time establishing Haley’s swimming skills, her deteriorating relationship with her father, and the extent of the storm before unleashing blow after blow. The basic idea of the claustrophobic space and the attack of monsters is typical of classic thrillers, and the pacing of the narrative is really brilliant. Tricks, such as a slowly sinking radio and a handheld flashlight, add invaluable value to the setting.
Aja, whose fun remake of Piranha was the high point of a rather irregular career to date, he should dedicate himself to films about aquatic predators. His work here is so fluid it’s almost elegant. He even manages to avoid silly scares – the alligator’s first appearance on screen is a masterful moment – and uses the compact space with lucid clarity. It expertly ratchets up the tension, revealing one surprise, one shock and one solution after another; Not even the breaks are completely peaceful. Those alligators could be lurking anywhere, just below the surface of the rising water. In the end, Hell in the storm It is like a dizzying rollercoaster, and although the viewer comes away smiling, they may also feel totally exhausted.
