Review of Creep (2014) by Mykal S — 07 Oct 2015

From a technical perspective, Creep is superb. It takes the tired found-footage formula and does something that feels unique while still familiar, it takes an extremely simple setting and pushes it as far as it can, the two leads' performances are excellent, and it ultimately accomplishes exactly what it set out to do. But did I enjoy it? Well, no, not really. The movie's title tells it all, it's a film about a creep. In this sense, it's extremely effective. I felt uneasy, disturbed, and generally creeped out. But I just didn't have any fun with it. Other movies can do these things and still be fun, this is not one of them. I just felt uncomfortable, and by the end of the film I just felt sad and dirty.

There are people who will like this movie, and I can see why. It's a much more genuine horror film than most, and feels unpleasantly real. The actors are great, particular the titular creep. You're never entirely sure what his motives are, and even though it's clear from the moment you meet him that he's up to no good, there are times where you almost start to forget that.

Creep is a well-made movie, I'd even venture to call it a good movie, and there are people who I might recommend it to. It succeeds in what it sets out to do, but the bottom line is I didn't like what it was setting out to do, and I didn't enjoy the experience of watching the movie. I don't know if I'd say I hated the movie, but I can't see myself ever returning to it.