The Horror Show
Creep
by Patrick Brice
I've written in length about my feelings on the found footage subgenre. In the interest of being thorough, I will reiterate these opinions in a cliff-notes style way. Essentially, I love found footage films, but consider them among the most difficult films to pull off. Done well, they can be some of the most impressive films I have seen; done poorly, they have the capacity to be unwatchable. Creep is the latest film in the tradition that I have delved into and as with any found footage film, I went in curious if it would be great or something I had to suffer through. I hate to oversell, but what followed was one of the best and most thrilling horror films I have seen in at least the past five years. Allow me to explain why.
Creep's setup is brilliantly simple. A photographer named Aaron (director/co-writer Patrick Brice) is hired to spend the day taping a project for Josef (co-writer Mark Duplass), an eccentric man he has not yet met. Josef seems a little off and overly eager, but friendly enough, so Aaron sticks around to get the details. He is informed that Josef unfortunately has a brain tumor and is most likely not going to live more than a few months. His wife is pregnant and Josef wants to make a video for his unborn child since he probably won't be around to raise it.
Things are a little uneasy, but all within the realm of playful oddity and not necessarily anything dangerous. The two men spend the day together, and little by little things progress. What follows is an expertly crafted series of events with so many natural twists and turns that always feel organic and fresh. I will leave the description brief because there is one thing about this film you need to know: I strongly suggest that you do not, under any circumstances, let anything about this film be spoiled for you. I don't usually tell people how to enjoy a movie but I seriously recommend you know as little about the movie as possible and just experience it for yourself as it happens.
The first positive thing that struck me about the film is how quickly it jumps right in. Found footage films often need to feel as realistic as possible, but too much build can quickly turn the film stale. This isn't always the case. Adam Green's phenomenal faux-documentary Digging up the Marrow was a slow burn but was entertaining as all hell. Most of the time, however, too much background kills a found footage project dead in its tracks. Creep, however, maintains its realistic progression while getting the ball rolling. No part of the film is dull and I found myself truly interested in how things were going to play out.
One of the major things that makes the film what it is are the performances. In the film's entirety there are really only two on-screen characters, Aaron and Josef. Mark Duplass proves himself once again to be an incredibly competent and serious actor, in addition to his more known comedic roles (come on, I can't stand football and even I love The League). His portrayal of Josef is equal parts endearing and creepy as hell. He finds a balance between sad and intimidating that I can't quite express in words. At any given time in the film I either wanted to distance myself from the character as much as possible or give him the world's biggest hug. Josef goes through many alterations in personality and Duplass nails every single one of them with expert ability.
Although Mark Duplass steals the show, it would be a complete injustice to ignore the wonderful performance of Patrick Brice. His character isn't as “festive” but completely believable and emotionally honest. I totally bought Aaron's unease, fear, and ambivalence. He is the voice of the audience and every note rings true.
The character of Josef is so well thought out and he is presented in such a way that even early on you never know if the character is being serious or not. The creators know, but we don't. This adds to the total unpredictability of the character and the film overall, which left me unsettled in the best possible way.
The film shows how good the found footage genre can be with skilled people taking control. I rarely see a film of such variety come across genuine and at the same time utilize artistic cinematography to better get the intended feeling across. This impressed me so much and the finished product is a testament to the effort that clearly went in.
Mark Duplass is no stranger to blending the concepts of creepy and sympathetic. His film Cyrus deals with this on a more dark-humor driven level. But with Creep he puts his own performance on the screen and shows how easily a person's emotions can be manipulated. One second, I would be completely freaked out by the character and the next, feel completely sorry for him. Maybe the film allows us to see the creep inside all of us and gives us a reason to feel connected and empathize with Josef. Even if they are willing to break that trust and let the audience know who is pulling the strings.
If I may be so bold, by the end I felt that while it was a completely different type of film, Creep was partially influenced by the 1965 Terrance Stamp fronted masterpiece The Collector. I consider that film to be a true work of art and I am completely okay with anything that Creep took away from it. Because Creep is completely worthy of its influences.
After about twenty minutes of the film, I trusted those involved with it. I had no worries about it taking a dumb turn or disappointing me. I simply sat back and took in a mesmerizing piece of work. A project that shows how intelligent writing and the smallest shifts in tone can be truly terrifying. I cannot recommend Creep enough and I am beyond excited for the future installments that I've read are in the works. My love of creepypasta has left me weary of stellar projects adding onto the story, but I so trust Duplass and Brice with this. And Creep 2 is officially one of my latest anticipated films. So do yourself a favor and give this film a watch. It's a short project but uses every single minute and comes out exactly how it should.
P.J. Griffin, HMS
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