Creep

Creep (2014)

Runtime: 77 minutes

Directed by: Patrick Brice

Starring: Mark Duplass, Patrick Brice

From: Yes, another damn horror movie from Blumhouse

Note that I posted a review this afternoon; it's directly below this one.

This is a movie that has gotten a buzz behind it since it came out on Netflix a few months ago. It's not a 5 star classic but it is at least better than the majority of horror films the past few years. Read why in my Letterboxd review below:

For the past few months I've seen multiple reviews of this from mutuals and from various messageboards so I figured it was about time I saw this movie, even though it's found footage and I am like most people in that it's usually tiresome and I groan when I hear that the trend has not stopped yet. But, many liked this film so I figured I'd give it a chance.

It's important to note that this is a two character movie and nothing more; you see no one else. A bearded hipster named Aaron (director Patrick Brice) captures video for cash, so when a random dude named Josef (mumblecore king Mark Duplass; I had never seen him before as I rarely watch that genre, although maybe I should give it more of a shot in the future) promises a nice chunk of cash for a day's work, he is happy to accept. Turns out, he's a guy who says he's terminally ill and wishes to have himself filmed for his unborn kid; yes, like that Michael Keaton movie My Life, and that's explicitly brought up. Josef seems weird right away and is a Stage 5 clinger friend to a guy he just met but as things progress, you realize how weird he is and things go downhill for Aaron.

I am rating this film as being fine. Josef lived up to the movie's title, and the whole enterprise was creepy throughout, especially once you see where it's going. It's less than 80 minutes so it's never boring. Some things were so absurd that I couldn't help but laugh, which I presume was the intent. Both performances were nice, especially from Duplass, who goes through a whole range of emotions.

I just wish there wouldn't have been a few illogical things that popped up that were needed to make this story play out the way they did. I won't spoil them but in the second half of the film I thought that things at times were nonsensical. Also, it's a goofy trick of jump scares by having Josef being a dick who likes to jump out and frighten poor Aaron. Still, like I said this is at least fine and is better and more imaginative than the majority of horror films that have come out in recent years.