There’s an undeniable charm to Paul Anthony Rogers’ almost militant approach to straight forward film-making that makes Crypsis hard not to like.
A group of friends, on a dare, decide to venture to a small island to see if they have the cojones to rough it there for the night. Guys go to the island. Monster’s on the island. Our monster.
It is again, Roger’s pacing and straight forward storytelling that elevate Crypsis from typical VOD man-in suit faire to something far more enjoyable. The characters are largely developed through the camaraderie they share, sparing us a ton of exposition. This allows Rogers to concentrate on the action which ultimately serves to further the characters’ development, showing us a well rounded cast that allows for more than one facet of depth when the heat gets turned up and the island’s rather aggressive resident shows up to clean house.
The monster, which does ultimately get plenty of screen time, is well done although I would have liked to have seen less of it, allowing my mind to fill in the gaps and let the horror take over. For what it is worth, even in the moments where the camera lingers a little too long, the monstrous island dweller is intimidating enough to make the urgency real.
This “barreling forward” approach to tale-telling is not without its nuances and Crypsis even manages to surprise with some last minute twists in its third act. Rogers pulls this off without a need to confuse the audience and in the end, provides a satisfying climax.
This isn’t Jordan Peele or Ari Aster. This is a director with a rather simple story to tell and although Crypsis’ themes might not linger with their audience, that story is done adeptly with a quick pace that makes for good weekend viewing. RECOMMENDED.
