Creep (Review)

Creep (2015)

Horror, Comedy

Directed By: Patrick Brice

Way too often do I see people unfairly trash talking the "found-footage" subgenre, they see one bad movie and they write off all the others. I could sit here and list numerous excellent examples that use this technique to create great films, but what's the point? Why list movies from the past when we have a brand new film, just released this month that makes as good a case as any for the subgenres legitimacy. Creep, the new film from writer/director Patrick Brice, uses the "found-footage" approach to deliver the (no pun intended) creepiest movie I have seen this year.

Without diving too far into the story, as it is best to know as little as possible going in, the main character Aaron (Patrick Brice) is a professional videographer who takes a job from a eccentric guy up in the mountains. He agrees to go out to his place for one day and document whatever this man wants. The money is good and it all seems easy enough, but after spending a short amount of time with his new employer Josef (Mark Duplass) it becomes clear this isn't going to be the day he had planned. How far do you go for a man you only just met this morning?

They could not have picked a better title for this movie because that's exactly what this film is; a story about an unnervingly creepy guy that in turn creeps you the hell out and makes you never want to talk to strangers again. What this movie does is make you scared of us, not the supernatural or a crazed serial murderer with unexplained invincibility. No, Creep focuses solely on two people and their interactions with each other as one slowly slides down the rabbit hole. You can scare me with ghosts and the undead all you want (seriously, keep those movies coming) but if you really want to keep me from sleeping at night make me scared of something real, like another human being.

This is an intimate film, an inescapable film, and its one guy filming another for seventy-seven intense minutes. Something like this is not possible without the right performers. Creator of the film Patrick Brice plays the curious videographer and does a great job of making you feel exactly what he's feeling throughout the film. With him behind the camera for most of the movie though the weight of it all lands mostly on the shoulders of Mark Duplass, and his performance will blow you away. Watching him transform from the beginning of the film to what he shows you at the finale will terrify you. Being reminded what another human being can be capable of if his mind is broken is kind of stuff truly scary, at least for me.

Creep not only furthers my argument that this sub-genre can be a breeding ground for genius filmmaking; it is now one of my top examples for it. It reminds us that it doesn't matter if you have a crappy everyday camcorder or a state of the art HD camera, if you have talented people working together, great things will happen. This film has a smart, contained storyline that not only delivers on the scares but can be rather funny at times too. Patrick Brice has done a wonderful job writing, directing, and acting and, despite the found-footage approach there is some beautiful camera work in this film. I urge you to check out this film even if you aren't a fan of these kinds of films. I think this is one that can change your mind and for those who are fans of the sub-genre, this film will be a treat for you.

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!