1600th Review
When I heard that there would be a sequel to “Creep,” I assumed that there was no possible way to revisit this film without either moving away from the found-footage genre or telling the exact same story with new characters. And yet, director Patrick Brice has put a completely fresh spin on the same character in the exact same genre. It is as if we are merely watching another video from Josef‘s collection and seeing how he has evolved through his experiences. The end product feels entirely new and unpredictable. Although several of the story elements are recycled from the first film like the premise of hiring a videographer and the unexpected violent moments, the elements are presented in a different context that makes them feel original. The story manages to be just as unnerving as the original by pushing Joseph (now calling himself “Aaron”) to elevate his level of creepiness. Each time he tries to make his new victim uncomfortable, she turns the tables on him in an odd competition of who can be more disturbing. By antagonizing the antagonist, far-fetched ideas now become realistic as he gets pushed to the edge. I believe that the writers went a bit too far with the shock-value nude scene, but it drives home the point that the unpredictable antagonist has no boundaries. Mark Duplass is once again astounding at bringing his bizarre character to life and Desiree Akhavan makes a worthy adversary. “Creep 2” takes the franchise to the next level by turning the original story into one small piece of a larger puzzle. It also gets off to a much faster start that keeps the audience engaged throughout the film. I was skeptical that the second chapter would be a repeat of the first, but its success has me excited to see which unexpected direction the third chapter will take the franchise.
[Pictured: "Creep 2" perfectly incorporates the original story into this new adventure]
