The horror movie franchise is typically expected to come in threes, but the double feature of Creep and Creep 2 by Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice succeeds brilliantly with a hilarious and chilling first film followed by a sequel that takes the franchise in a completely different direction. In the first Creep, a struggling videographer named Aaron takes on a gig filming a video diary for a man named Josef who claims to be dying of a brain tumor. Right from their initial meeting, Aaron realizes something is off about Josef, leading to a tense and sinister relationship between the two characters inspired by My Dinner With Andre and Misery.
As Josef becomes increasingly unhinged and Aaron tries to navigate the awkward and dangerous situation, tensions rise until the character Peachfuzz shows up and chaos ensues. The movie is shot from Aaron’s perspective, allowing Duplass to showcase his comedic and eerie talents. Some critics argue that the movie doesn’t leave enough doubt about Josef’s true intentions, but the final scenes offer a satisfying conclusion. In the sequel, Creep 2, the script is flipped as Aaron faces a mid-life crisis and hires a new videographer, Sara, to make a documentary about him as a serial killer.
Despite Aaron’s attempts to scare Sara, she remains unconvinced of his true nature, leading to a bizarre and thrilling dynamic between the two characters. The ending of Creep 2 leaves the possibility of another movie open but also wraps up the franchise with a compelling final scene that twists the videographer-subject dynamic. These indie horror films avoid common cliches and tropes of the found-footage genre, providing a unique and engaging viewing experience for horror fans. Mark Duplass has announced a TV show called Creep Tapes that will focus on Josef’s earlier victims, expanding on the lore of the franchise.
