The Horror Sequel You Wouldn't Expect To Have 100% on Rotten Tomatoes
The first Creep was good, but the second one is even better.
Summary
- The first Creep film was a cult hit with a tiny budget
- Creators Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass managed to top it with an unexpected sequel
- Creep 2 is a critical darling that left the door open for more chapters.
Curse of the Sequels
It’s extremely rare for a sequel to be as good as its predecessor. Generally the ideas are less fresh the second time around, and often sequels are left retreading old ground or contradicting what came before.
There are exceptions, of course – The Godfather Part II and Paddington II both spring to mind. (That’s probably the only time those two movies will ever get referenced in the same sentence.) Great sequels can challenge the hero to evolve, or build on what has come before.
Still, it’s a challenge that very few movies have ever risen to, which is all the more reason why Creep 2’s 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating comes as a refreshing surprise.
The First Entry
Creep was released in 2015 and was also received quite well by critics. In this found-footage horror, struggling filmmaker Aaron gets a job in a remote area. He’s been hired by Josef, a man who claims to have a brain tumor and wishes to record a series of videos for his unborn child. But as the day wears on, Josef’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic and Aaron learns some gut-wrenching facts about his client.
Spoilers Ahead!
At the end of Creep, Josef stalks Aaron before luring him to his death. Aaron had set up a camera as a precaution, but this only leads to Josef enjoying footage of his murder as he prepares himself to find a new victim.
Creep was directed by Patrick Brice, who wrote the film with buddy Mark Duplass. Brice and Duplass star as Aaron and Josef respectively. Although they wrote the script together, they also left lots of room for improv in this two-hander. They claim that every scene had 10 to 12 different versions for them to choose from in editing.
Critics gave Creep 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics consensus reading:
'A smart, oddball take on found-footage horror, Creep is clever and well-acted enough to keep viewers on the edges of their seats.'
The Sequel
The first Creep was an indie film by two friends who were throwing a lot of spaghetti at the wall. For the sequel, expectations were way higher – making it even more impressive that it has been so well received.
Creep 2 begins with Josef (now calling himself Aaron in honor of his previous victim) undergoing a sort of serial killer midlife crisis. When his latest search for a videographer brings YouTuber Sara (Desiree Akhavan) to his doorstep, Aaron changes his routine.
He informs Sara that he is a serial killer, but that he will let her live for 24 hours if she creates a documentary about his life. Sara doesn’t believe him, but she thinks he’ll be a great subject for her struggling web series about weirdos on Craigslist.
Thus begins a twisted psychological game between Sara and Aaron, where the question of who is manipulating who is sometimes called into question. Even more so than the first movie, the question of who exactly the 'creep' is remains open for debate.
Critics are in love with Creep 2’s combination of horror and comedy, with the Rotten Tomatoes consensus reading:
'Creep 2 has everything that made the original work and more -- more laughs, more awkwardness, more unsettling terror.'
One critic found the dynamic between Sara and Aaron to be reminiscent of Hannibal Lector and Clarice Starling, while another describes the movie as 'an ass-backwards love story for the morbidly strange.'
Where to Find It
You can stream Creep 2 on Netflix in most regions, or you can rent it from YouTube or Apple TV+.
And not to worry – with an ending that leaves the door open for sequels, this may not be the last we see from Duplass and Brice’s Creepverse.