PopHorror Let's Get Scared
My wife and I have started watching old made for TV movies from the 70s and 80s on Tubi and YouTube recently. The other night we found one called Crawlspace from 1972 that neither one of us had ever seen or even heard of. We thought that it sounded like it could be interesting, so we gave it a shot and hoped for the best.
So, did it turn out to be a huge disappointment or a hidden gem that somehow eluded us for years?
Keep on reading to find out…
Synopsis
An older couple who never had kids take in a weird guy that has been living in the crawlspace of their house. At first things seem fine and everyone is happy until an incident takes place when the guy goes to the store for the couple and then his behavior becomes more and more bizarre and even violent, making them regret their decision to let him stay with them.
Not to be confused with the 1986 Klaus Kinski movie with the same name, this film is based on the novel written by Herbert Lieberman in 1971 and after seeing the movie adaptation I really want to read the book now. I thought that the film version was quite awesome, and I can’t believe that I hadn’t seen it until now.
While the plot may not be the most original in the world it works on many levels and has a lot going for it. It’s all about a lonely couple who never had kids who move out to the country after the man has a heart attack. They soon discover that an odd young man named Richard is living in their crawlspace and they welcome him with open arms and allow him to stay, even buying him Christmas gifts and letting him have Christmas dinner with them.
Everything goes swimmingly at first until Richard is involved in an altercation at a grocery store with the owner’s son. From there his behavior starts getting stranger and stranger to the point that the couple wants him to leave, which he refuses to do. Let me just warn you ahead of time, if you’re expecting a happy ending here you have come to the wrong place.
One of the biggest strengths of Crawlspace is its cast. Arthur Kennedy (The Sentinel, Grandpa) does an amazing job as Albert, and Teresa Wright (Mrs. Miniver, Somewhere in Time) is just as impressive as his wife Alice. They are just a likable couple that you can’t help but care about and there is just something about them in general that is a little sad. They obviously love each other and since Kennedy and Wright have such amazing chemistry they make a believable couple.
They both do a great job bringing their characters to life, but the real star of the movie is Tom Happer (Dark Shadows, Shackin’ Up) who plays Richard, the oddball that they take in. He does a wonderful job in the role, and you can’t help but like him even though he isn’t quite right in the head. I thought all three of them did a fabulous job and I enjoyed their performances.
While the movie is more of a suspense/thriller than a horror film I still dug it and thought that it had its share of creepy moments, especially after Richard starts getting more possessive of the couple and refuses to leave when they make it clear that they want him gone. He has a hissy fit at one point because they leave him home alone for a little while to visit family and he ends up trashing the house as a result.
Things go from bad to worse from there, as he destroys Alice’s beloved weaving loom at one point and steals the distributor cap from Albert’s car so that they can’t leave again. He also gets violent as well and ends up attacking someone with a hatchet toward the end of the movie.
If you are in the mood for a good suspense film then I highly recommend this movie as it has some unforgettable moments that really stay with you long after you watch it.
I also enjoyed the overall tone of the movie. There is just something depressing about it and parts of it are just plain sad. As I said earlier, there is something a little depressing about Albert and Alice and I felt really bad for them for several reasons. They are obviously kind and caring people, but they are also very lonely at the same time, and it becomes apparent early on that they regret not ever having kids (the part where Alice asks Albert about putting Richard’s name on their Christmas cards nearly made me tear up). The fact that Albert and Alice are so happy to have Richard live with them is sad as well as it shows how desperately they want someone in their lives to take care of.
The saddest part of the movie is without a doubt then ending though. I don’t want to give anything away, but let’s just say that it is tragic, and heartbreaking and it depressed the living Hell out of me to be honest. The ending works, but geez, does it hit you in the feels.
As you can tell, I dug Crawlspace and thought that it was an awesome little movie. It isn’t for everyone, especially if you are looking for a hardcore horror flick full of blood and a huge body count, but if you are in the mood for something a little different then I think you will enjoy it.
Just make sure that you have some tissues handy, because you are definitely going to need them a few times while you are watching it. Check it out when you get the chance, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
