Director: Patrick Brice
In front of the camera, Mark Duplass has constructed an image of a “roll with the punches” kind of chum, whose penchant for sharing his vulnerabilities makes him both likable and almost eerily enlightened–the sort of guy who’s so responsive and affectionate that one wonders if there’s a tinge of condescension behind it or worse. Creep utilizes that persona to great effect by having Duplass play a mentally unhinged, potential psychopath without adjusting his image too severely. In fact, early on the line between male bonding film and horror film is blurred–while audiences undoubtedly have some awareness that things could get bad, the friendly, improvisational feel and Duplass’ charms make one doubt just how bad it can get. The found footage aesthetic is more of a hindrance than a necessary means of telling this story, but director Patrick Brice takes some pleasure in acknowledging the genre he’s working with by having Duplass play a man who very much knows he’s the villain of a horror movie. Early on, he indulges an obsession of popping out behind corners, joyously invoking the “jump scares” of films of this genre. Unfortunately, there’s not enough of those distinct quirks to make this villain particularly memorable, and Duplass is more frightening in the suspicious early-goings than when the film begins to lay its cards all out on the table.
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