Spiders are universally creepy—those eight legs, the multiple eyes, the way they skitter. But when they're giant, venomous, and out for blood, they become pure nightmare fuel. That's the premise of Crawlers, a new R-rated horror film that promised to tap into our deepest arachnophobia. Yet, despite its terrifying concept, the movie has failed to spin a web of box office success, losing over 1,000 theaters in just its second week.
According to recent box office reports, Crawlers has been yanked from 927 screens, plummeting from 1,040 locations to a mere 113. That's an 89% reduction in theater count after only seven days—a catastrophic drop that signals a swift and brutal theatrical run. The film's opening weekend grossed just $462,691 domestically, averaging a paltry $445 per theater. Those numbers made its rapid disappearance from cinemas almost inevitable.
The plot centers on a nightmare scenario: a deadly spider infestation forces an apartment building into lockdown. As a police-mandated quarantine traps residents inside, building manager Serena must use her intimate knowledge of the complex to help everyone survive. But the creatures multiply by the second, and Serena's only hope lies in confronting her deepest fear. It's a classic horror setup, but audiences weren't buying it.
With a global total of roughly $940,331 through the latest reporting, Crawlers hasn't even crossed the $1 million mark worldwide. Its international release hasn't fared much better, and with only 113 theaters remaining, the film's chances of a domestic recovery are virtually nil. The theatrical market has spoken, and it's not interested in these eight-legged terrors.
Critics were somewhat divided, giving the film a 60% score on Rotten Tomatoes. But the audience score tells a harsher story: a dismal 37% on the Popcornmeter. That means the few viewers who did show up largely disliked what they saw, which is a death knell for word-of-mouth. In the horror genre, where buzz can make or break a release, such a low audience approval is a fatal blow.
This isn't the first time a horror movie has struggled to find its audience. The genre is notoriously hit-or-miss, and even modern horror's finest can sometimes miss the mark. But Crawlers' rapid decline is particularly stark, especially when compared to other recent releases that have managed to hold their own.
For those curious about the film, Crawlers is still playing in select theaters, though its run is clearly winding down. If you're a fan of spider-centric scares, you might want to catch it while you can—before it disappears entirely. And if you're looking for something to stream instead, there are plenty of unexpected horror hits on Prime Video that might be a better use of your time.
As the theatrical landscape becomes increasingly competitive, Crawlers serves as a cautionary tale. Even a familiar horror trope can't guarantee success if the execution doesn't resonate with audiences. For now, the spiders have won—and they've crawled away with the film's box office hopes.
