Creep

Bantucinema
Creep 6.5/10
Released: March 8, 2014
By William Rivers

“Why the Hell wouldn't you turn around???”

Creep is a rare achievement. It takes a genre that is very tired, (especially at the time of release) and gives it a revitalizing take. Written by Mark Duplass and Patrick Kack-Brice, Creep is one of a handful of “Found footage” films that have no such paranormal elements. This is a great thing because the seminal thing that holds the genre back as a whole is its reliance on using ghosts and witches to amp up the scares. Ultimately, we all pretty much know that nothing in the film is real, and with how many of these films had been coming out at the time, the gimmick was quickly wearing off. More than anything else, Creep’s strengths come from the fact that there is really nothing scarier than something we can all relate to.

The film stars its writers, Patrick Brice (Aaron) and Mark Duplass (Josef). Aaron is a typical guy looking to make a little extra cash by taking a camera work job on Craigslist. When he arrives at the location, a home deep in the woods and far away from any towns or cities, he meets Josef. Josef is a guy that we all sadly know. He’s the guy at work who is always leaning into your cubicle asking you when you guys are going to hangout again, when you know that it’s never going to happen. He’s the guy who likes every one of your posts on Facebook and Instagram and tags you in childish videos even though you’re not that close. He’s the guy you just can’t help but be nice to because you feel sorry for him, even though at the end of the day, you probably end up going off on him for just being too abrasive. We can all conjure the thought of being alone in that guy’s home for the first time. I’m sure you just did, and you cringed at the thought of how uncomfortable it would be. This film brings that uncomfortable feeling and makes you deal with it for 80 minutes.

Josef is a weirdo in the worst ways, but is played so well by Mark Duplass that there are many times when you almost forgive him for this quality. This film is really good at putting you into Aaron’s shoes. You can tell that from the shaky impression made at the very start, Aaron isn’t all that thrilled to have taken this job and really just wants to be done with it. As the film progresses through to it’s second act though, both Aaron and the audience really start to see past the weird and into the tragic soul of a man who’s just too nice and too thoughtful for anybody to handle. Josef spouts philosophical beliefs that ultimately give decent explanations for his overly energetic demeanor. It isn’t until all is revealed that Aaron realizes just who he’s dealing with.

This film shines because of its believable writing and its ability to put you right into the mind of its protagonist. Aaron is a great guy, but he’s pretty stupid. There are more than a few times where he decides to take his camera with him into a dark area in search of his attacker rather than putting the damn thing down, and either running away or going after him with a blunt object. These are the moments when the gimmick begins to show, as it is clear that this is meant to build tension. It does this very well, but it does make you question the realism of the situation because you know that nobody in this position would be worried about keeping that camera on.

Despite its very suspenseful run, the ending isn’t the most satisfying one, and that is really what brings the film down a few pegs. Overall, Creep is a great ride filled with a wonderful performance by Patrick Brice and some gripping suspense. Again, it’s really nice to get out of the haunted house and into the home of a real guy with real problems. If only our main character had a bit more sense, our emersion into his circumstances would have likely never been broken. I would definitely recommend this to anybody who doesn’t mind being jumpy for over an hour, and to anybody who may need another reason to leave well alone, and never go anywhere with the creepy guy at work.