Viewed – 30 December 2019. Online rental

As a hurricane hits a small town, Haley, a professional swimmer seeks out her estranged father after she’s unable to contact him, However during her attempt at a rescue a ravenous group of alligators find their way into the gradually flooding town.

Director Alexandre Aja continues to be a reliable prospect and has delivered some solid genre movies namely brutal French slasher Switchblade Romance and the gore-tastic Piranha 3D. This latest effort lacks some depth between the principle leads with a hinted at troubled past only vaguely mentioned, and a bit more detail would have added to the emotion of the father & daughter bonding. With that said, lead actress Kaya Scodelario does bring a raw believability to her character throughout. Yet this remains all about the situation, and thankfully, Alexandre Aja cranks up the thrills and tension. The alligators are convincing, genuinely scary and brutally vicious resulting in several heart-in-mouth moments that kept me glued. Also the backdrop of the hurricane and its gradually building ferocity makes for plenty of edge of the seat moments.

Even if this can’t escape its creature flick / b-movie roots … with a decent budget and a skilled director, this still managed to work me up and wear me out.

Verdict: Good