Released in 2014, “Creep” is a found-footage style horror-comedy film. Although this review is coming from someone who had never watched a horror movie prior to seeing “Creep,” the movie does a spectacular job at taking a low budget and turning it into something disturbing and funny.
Directed by Patrick Brice and starring Brice and Mark Duplass, the plot follows Aaron (Brice) who responds to an online advertisement to film a quirky guy, Josef (Duplass), as he goes about his day. Josef reveals he has a brain tumor and wants his life to be documented for his unborn child.
Throughout the film, Aaron grows increasingly uneasy because of Josef’s strange actions and unsettling questions. The plot only continues to thicken after Aaron flees Josef’s cabin and learns more about him.
Overall, the film takes a creative approach to found-footage horror, making it fit seamlessly with the plot. The filming style never feels jarring, but it still reminds the audience that it’s a found-footage piece.
Different sources report different figures for the budget, but all are low. Some articles report $0, some report $500, and some say it’s not more than $5,000.
Regardless of the exact number, the budget was thin, and the movie doesn’t suffer because of it. “Creep” doesn’t need CGI to be scary – it simply uses complex characters and audience anticipation to accomplish its goal.
Duplass does an excellent job acting as Josef. The audience is left wondering who he is, what he wants and what he might do to Aaron.
Josef is a complex character with a tragic story, but as the movie goes on Aaron is left wondering what is true. The film uses these questions about Josef, along with threatening images, to create suspense and fear.
While suspense builds throughout “Creep,” there are a few moments of action that further the audience’s fear and confusion. Jump scares and comedic moments contribute to the overall questions that the audience faces.
The scariest part about “Creep” is its realism. “Creep” isn’t a fantastical horror movie with obviously fake demons or talking dolls. Josef is a strange person, but someone you might find out in the real world..
Duplass perfectly portrays this through heart-to-heart conversations with Aaron, who asks probing questions and tries to be a hospitable person overall. This back-and-forth leaves the audience constantly wondering what happens next.
While I may not have a lot of experience with the horror genre, “Creep” was a super enjoyable film and one that made me a lot more open to watching horror movies in the future. The film does have a sequel, which I personally didn’t enjoy as much, but it was still very good.
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