Scurry review
Two people crawl through the earth to survive a giant insect apocalypse. You know…that old story.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Scurry
Directed by Luke Sparke
Written by Tom Evans
Starring Jamie Costa and Emalia
Scurry Review
There are plenty of examples of the one-shot movie out there. 1917 and Birdman are probably the most famous ones. A long sequence in One Cut of the Dead might be the best use of it in genre films to this point. Pulling it off is impressive on a technical level…but what matters most is utilizing it in a way that makes sense. Which is what makes the concept a perfect fit for horror movies. The appearance of an unbroken shot can ratchet up suspense in a way that is difficult to manufacture otherwise. If you’ve ever seen the first season of True Detective you may recall that its standout sequence utilized the one-shot technique. Scurry is the latest film to try its hand at the idea.
Of course, these one-shot films are an illusion. It would be impossible to create anything workable by leaving a camera running for 90 minutes and assuming everything is going to go right. Scurry is able to hide it cuts easier than most. Its story takes place underground where darkness fills every corner…and, occasionally, the screen. We begin by following Mark (Jamie Costa). He finds himself trapped underground after falling into a sinkhole. He soon runs into Kate (Emalia)…a woman who isn’t what (or who) she appears to be. Oh…I forgot to mention how they ended up underground. There’s a giant insect invasion happening above them. As in…a giant number of insects…who also happen to be giant in size.
We only see flashes of that threat early on in Scurry. Mark and Kate are removed from the total carnage happening on the surface. But they aren’t exactly alone underground either. Insect sounds and glimpses of creatures keep the pair on their toes as they attempt to find a way out. Scurry is a straightforward story about survival. Surrounded by giant killer insects and trapped underground…all filmed with appearance of being done in one shot. Sounds fun, right? Thanks to the one-shot style…it pretty much is. You simply can’t replicate the feeling of things happening in real time. The urgency and immediacy fit genre films like a glove. A glove that fits well…I guess. I’ve never really understood that analogy. Plenty of gloves won’t fit you well.
Being a two character piece, Scurry is under pressure to deliver people worth watching and caring about. We learn more about Mark and Kate as they crawl their way through a seemingly endless cave system. Their trust grows over time…though not without a few setbacks along the way. Most importantly, they feel like real people who find themselves in a terrible situation. There’s no conveniently brilliant or unnaturally strong element to them. Just two regular, relatable people looking for a way out.
While most of Scurry is spent watching Mark and Kate maneuver around the underground we do get some glimpses of what’s happening outside of their predicament. From their perspective, of course. These moments feel like finding a pocket of air while trying to swim underwater. Scurry is purposefully claustrophobic much of the time. When we (and the characters) see any signs of daylight it feels like a relief. It’s also accompanied by the sights and sounds of something horrific happening just out of reach. Such is life underneath an apocalypse.
As with their characters, Scurry is only going to go as far as the actors can take them. Costa and Emalia do a great job selling the growing desperation and fear of their situation. The quiet moments allow them to fill in some backstories from a world that may not even exist anymore if they manage to escape. Emalia is starring in her first feature…but we’ve seen Costa before. He starred in a couple of recently released winners in The Activated Man and Bring Him to Me. The latter of which was helmed by Scurry director Luke Sparke. You may have seen Sparke’s recent dinosaur action thriller Primitive War. If not…it’s set to hit VOD the same day Scurry makes its debut.
I can’t speak to the quality of Primitive War, but Scurry is a good one. It takes a new angle on the creature feature…placing itself beneath an ongoing invasion. Crawling through tunnels while evading the sounds of imminent danger…Mark and Kate must learn to work together to return to what’s left of the world they remember. With a one-shot technique that elevates the suspense and giant bug sized surprises skittering all around…Scurry provides a fresh take on an old favorite.
Scare Value
The one-shot technique may sound like a gimmick…and to be fair, it is one…but you can’t deny that it works. It adds tension and suspense to pretty much any movie that chooses to challenge itself by employing it. Scurry relies on the lack of cuts to make its two-hander feel as urgent as possible. There’s only so many places to go while trapped underground. Scurry‘s one-shot technique makes every brief destination feel like a true accomplishment for its protagonists.
3/5
