Time: 77 Minutes
Cast:
Mark Duplass as Josef/Bill
Patrick Brice as Aaron
Director: Patrick Brice

Aaron answers an online ad and drives to a stranger’s house to film him for the day. The man wants to make a movie for his unborn child, but his requests become more bizarre as the day goes along.

Most people are pretty mixed when it comes to found footage movies, and I admit I’m not the biggest fan of it, even though there are some great movies in that subgenre. Creep isn’t my favourite examples of it even in the horror genre, but it does utilise it decently.

Creep is a well crafted and creepy psychological horror. It is very intimate, and the fact that its being shot and approached as documentary footage make it feel real, and does generate a very tense atmosphere. It’s very uncomfortable and unpredictable, and it was one of the rare movies that gets under my skin. The quieter moments especially add to the unsettling feeling and mood. There’s even some surprising dark comedy, mainly in the first half. It is definitely a slow burn despite its small runtime of 77 minutes, and the steady pace does result in the momentum being lost. The scenes without Mark Duplass particularly aren’t as riveting as the scenes with him.

As far as performances go, it basically comes down to two actors, who deliver some great work. Mark Duplass is fantastic as the titular creep. Throughout the movie you don’t know how to feel about him, he’s hilarious, tragic, disturbed and scary. With his over the top friendliness and subtle sinister edge, he is unnerving yet compelling to watch. While it’s a pretty good movie, it really wouldn’t have worked nearly as well without him. On top of being the director, Patrick Brice plays the videographer and audience surrogate, who plays well off Duplass’s antics.

Patrick Brice’s directorial debut is pretty strong, and he really makes the most from a low budget. It really utilises the found footage aspects well, in a simple yet effective way. He clearly knows what to show and what not to show on screen, just enough to get you unnerved. The naturalistic feel makes you immersed in the movie, especially with much of it being filmed in first person. The lack of a soundtrack also adds to the uneasiness. A complaint I have is that it really could’ve done without some of the jumpscares.

Creep is a bit slow and occasionally too heavy on the jumpscares but is overall an effective and unsettling psychological horror. It makes great use of the found footage approach and benefits from great performances, especially from Mark Duplass.