Exclusive: Does the Dog Survive? Alexandre Aja Discusses the Fate of “Sugar” in CRAWL
Josh Millican
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Whenever I see a dog in a horror movie, my heart sinks. Nine times out of ten, when you see a pet in a horror movie, it’s going to get killed, delivering an emotional gut punch. If the movie is rated R—forget about it! So, when I realized that one of the main characters in Crawl (now playing in theaters nationwide) is Sugar, a shaggy terrier mutt mix, I decided not to get too attached to her.
Crawl is directed by Alexandre Aja, one of the pioneers of New French Extremity, who savagely slaughtered two dogs in his remake of Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes. “Sugar doesn’t stand a chance,” I lamented.
So, when I had a chance to discuss Crawl with Aja this morning, I couldn’t help but discuss sweet Sugar’s surprising fate.
Spoiler Warning: To find out what happens to Sugar—and what could have happened, continue reading. If you’ve yet to see Crawl for yourself, bookmark this page and come back later. You can read our review of the film below.
Related Article: CRAWL Review—The Best “Stay Out of the Water” Summer Horror Movie Since THE SHALLOWS
Sugar lives, but was that always the plan? Not necessarily. Aja explains:
“We went back and forth a lot [about what to do with Sugar]. We had different versions of the script, including a contingency plan for if the dog turned out to be a nightmare on set. There was even a really dark idea about the characters sacrificing Sugar to save themselves. It’s funny because we discussed things like Sugar living in peace and Sugar jumping into the water to save her humans. In the end, I think having the audience wondering what’s going to happen to the dog is a good suspense builder.”
That’s when the conversation took a really wacky turn.
“We even talked about doing a sequel entirely from Sugar’s perspective.”
Now who wouldn’t want to see that?
You can check out the synopsis and trailer for Crawl below.
Synopsis:
When a massive hurricane hits her Florida town, young Haley ignores the
evacuation orders to search for her missing father, Dave. After finding him
gravely injured in their family home, the two of them become trapped by the
rapidly encroaching floodwaters. With the storm strengthening, Haley and Dave
discover an even greater threat than the rising water level — a relentless
attack from a pack of gigantic alligators.
Crawl stars Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper, and Morfydd Clark. Sugar was played by a dog named Cso-Cso!
Have you seen Crawl yet? Were you rooting for Sugar? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also carry on the convo with me personally on Twitter @josh_millican.
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