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Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass’ 2015 found-footage horror movie, Creep, was an experience that was heightened by having absolutely no pre-existing knowledge and even fewer expectations. Part of what made it such an enjoyable watch was the fact that you could stumble upon it on Netflix — at least for me. I was stunned by how unnerving and deeply disturbing this small film was, a psychological power-play between predator and prey that becomes a different film every ten minutes. It was surely a lightning-in-a-bottle success, but the sequel was almost just as strong as the first, with new co-lead Desiree Akhavan a refreshing introduction to the canon. So, almost 10 years after the first film’s release, a decade that saw plenty of requests from fans for another installment, we have The Creep Tapes.
The Shudder series consists of six half-hour episodes containing footage of Duplass’ killer’s various deranged exploits. While the two films are stripped-back, fast-paced documents of what it’s like to be in close quarters with a serial killer, the series is a time loop of the same old tricks. One can’t help but feel like The Creep Tapes is a vanity project for Duplass, who returns along with Brice, as the viewer is subjected to his infernal killer taking up the screen, allowing for nothing else to creep in and entertain. It’s a repetitive, bland, and self-indulgent watch that doesn’t make use of any of the opportunities that the found-footage method grants.
What Is ‘The Creep Tapes’ About?
If you’ve seen either of the original movies, you’re already familiar with the plot of this spin-off. In almost every episode, a mild-mannered white man answers a job listing that requires a cameraman for a cool thousand dollars a day. Some episodes deviate from the setup, but in every single episode, the insufferable Peachfuzz recites rambling drivel to a progressively terrified soul before they realize that they are in real danger. But by then, it’s too late.
Not one of Peachfuzz’s victims is given any depth of character. They all mesh into one to form the most average man you’ve ever seen. Every victim has an ungodly amount of patience and tolerance for Peachfuzz’s tedious bullshit — which is more than can be said for the audience. One wants to set out to uncover the corruption of the Catholic Church (as if he’s going to do that by visiting a man in the woods in middle America), while a few simply want to make some quick cash. In the third and strongest episode of the series, a reputable true-crime director who’s past his peak is invited by Peachfuzz to witness the perfect murder for his next film. The final episode contains the only woman in the entire show. Before you think this is a win for feminism, just wait for the finale’s very last shot.
In short, The Creep Tapes suffers from too much Duplass and not enough of why found footage is such an effective horror genre. We don’t get any creative shots, shaky cam sequences, or long and excruciating night vision scenes. The show hinges everything on the two main players of each episode, as every story is wafer-thin because it’s been sidelined by the formless and inane script. Narratively, we’re at the mercy of Duplass’s character choices — and that is not a position you want to be in. It just doesn’t feel like Brice and Duplass have much at play here. Every episode clocks in at around 25 minutes, the first minute of which is an “off-air” background followed by 30 seconds of a black screen. It gives the impression that the show is trying to eat up time because it doesn’t have enough material to carry a full series.
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Not every horror villain can carry their own project. A lot of us could watch six episodes of Robert Englund’s Freddy Krueger tormenting teenagers’ dreams in a campy but deeply unsettling solo outing. The same goes for Art the Clown, Hannibal Lecter, and Chucky. But what do all these characters have in common? They’re genuinely scary, first of all. Some of them might make us laugh, but that doesn’t mean we’re any less terrified of them. And they all have a likable, demented way about them that makes their presence inherently entertaining. The same can not be said of Mark Duplass’ reclusive serial killer. He’s a grating mama’s boy who loves the sound of his own voice. I know Freddy likes to talk, but at least his cheesy one-liners don’t give you a migraine.
After just one episode of The Creep Tapes, it’s hard to want to return. It would be forgivable if Peachfuzz were in any way frightening, but he’s more resemblant of that annoying uncle you’re seated next to at a wedding than a slasher villain. Duplass succeeds in making the character what the title wants, a creep; it’s just not in the way you want from a horror series. From “Get that tooshie over here!” to “Awkward humor alert!” the killer we’re all meant to fear is asked to deliver some of the goofiest dialogue ever spoken.
‘The Creep Tapes’ Overexplains Its Concept
In horror, you’ll regularly find works that commit the cardinal sin of thinking the audience is stupid; this is mainly due to the fact that people consider the genre lesser. It’s surprising, then, as Duplass and Brice exhibited a deep understanding of horror in their original movies, that they make this mistake here. Nothing is left to be picked up by the audience. In found-footage, the non-traditional narrative format means you have to be vigilant for the entire runtime because nothing is going to be explained to you. In the Paranormal Activity movies, you have to remember where an object once stood because noticing it has moved is what the fear is all about. In The Creep Tapes, Duplass explains every single decision made, so the audience doesn’t miss it. In the first episode, what should’ve been a blood-cooling moment is ruined because the entire setup is explained and the payoff is in-your-face obvious.
Again, found footage is a subgenre that is unfairly written off by the masses, especially when it comes to its performances. However, if you think back to all the great examples of the genre, the realistic, grounded, and palpable acting is what makes the footage so jarring. The young trio of The Blair Witch Project makes up for the lack of the titular character because seeing them tormented is scarier than any mythical witch. The same goes for Paranormal Activity; the fear comes from an average couple experiencing otherworldly horrors. A lot of Duplass’ co-leads play their characters like the foils of campy B-horrors rather than real-life people who have been unknowingly brought into dangerous circumstances. Part of why Duplass’ performance worked so well in the first movie is the slow unraveling of his true, murderous self. In The Creep Tapes, however, he’s not afforded any mystery, and Duplass plays him with slapstick humor à la Buster Keaton. Even when he’s hacking victims to pieces, he’s too goofy to evoke any fear.
The Creep Tapes, unfortunately, suggests that this well has dried up, and perhaps it’s time for Brice and Duplass to move on. Their other works of the past few years are much better representations of their talents than this thrown-together outing. Duplass has earned two Emmy nominations for his work on The Morning Show, and his heart-stopping turns in Bluejay prove that his talents are much better suited to drama than horror. This especially goes for his work as producer, helping to bring small indies such as Horse Girl, Tangerine, and The Skeleton Twins to the screen. On the flip side, Brice’s teen slasher adaptation for Netflix, There’s Someone Inside Your House, shows a progression in the director’s horror tastes. Sadly, this Creep and his wolf mask need to be put to bed once and for all.
The Creep Tapes hits Shudder on November 15.
The Creep Tapes ignores all the opportunities of found-footage horror to focus on Mark Duplass’ insufferable lead character.
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