There are certain subgenres (or gimmicks) of film that just haven’t seemed to make their way out of limbo, no matter how many different filmmakers try to let them see the light of day. Spoof movies, at their core, are often very cheap in terms of quality. Their very nature is a mockery of the art form itself at times.Video game adaptationsrarely see real narrative success for both fairweather moviegoers and fans of the source material alike. One gimmick, however, has discovered horror as the possible genre-key needed to unlock its true potential.
Horror’s Unique Lane
The very essence of horror is one that unsurprisingly fits with the idea of afound footage filmlike a glove. The presentation of a scary sight is already frightening enough, but stumbling upon one? You’ve just opened up a whole new set of ideas and notions on what truly defines ‘scary.’ With all that in mind, let’s take a look at one of the most frightening films in this bubble and maybe the best case for a found footage revival:Creep.
Creepis the 2014 Patrick Brice film detailing a freelance videographer (Aaron) who picks up an assignment from an unusual client. The client is said to be terminally ill, and seeking a documentary-style film of a day in his life to be later shown to his unborn son. The oddities of Josef (the client) are made pretty clear upon his first screen appearance, with the true motives of his hiring a filmmaker to be unraveled as something far more sinister than a gift for his son.
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By putting the protagonist behind the camera, a whole new level of uneasiness is unlocked. Sharp cuts, heavy breaths, and a whole lot of startles make what could’ve been a cookie cutter slasher flick turn into something sure to make viewers far more queasy. With horror (and arguably found footage as well), the good is usually great and the bad usually less than so. With a creative formula like the one Brice has cooked up, it’s hard to callCreepanything less than special.
Seeing Evil in Creep
What setsCreepapart from its companions in the subgenre is all in its presentation of its narrative. The idea of a crazy man living in the woods is one that horror has seen adapted in a number of ways. Whether Leatherface, a character masked in his victims' own skin, or Jason Voorhees slashing behind a hockey goalie face shield, an isolated villain and a hidden identity is no stranger to the realm of screams. What’s different here is not only Josef’s lack of want to conceal his identity, but the use of masks throughout the 80 minutes ofanxiety this film brings, years beforeThe Black Phone.
Meet Peachfuzz!
Peachfuzz, Josef’s mask and alternate persona, is possibly what makes this film the most unsettling. The mask, resembling a wolf, is said by Josef to be a token passed down by his father that he intends to leave for his son. His explanation, on the ears of someone rational, would have most running for the door. Aaron being the horror protagonist and good filmmaker he is, however, chooses to put his fate on the line. Josef says:
I love wolves. Because they love deeply, but they don’t know how to express it, and they’re often very violent and, quite frankly, murder the things that they love, but inside of the wolf is this beautiful heart.
Not only does this line highlight the true sinister nature of Josef, it also characterizes the man behind the mask before we even see it placed on his head. As the film progresses, Peachfuzz starts to see more screen time than Josef, with the eventual escape of our protagonist Aaron seeing Peachfuzz guarding the front door with unsettlingly erotic mannerisms and body language. It’s here, after the reveal of a character whose motives are out of control of even his own mind, that the viewer is left to do nothing but watch our helpless cameraman fend off isolation and insanity, even as it follows him home.
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Aaron eventually escapes, and spends the next few months back home trying to recuperate from his previous client. As is common with horror, however, happy endings are not the typical outcome. Aaron begins receiving mail from his former client and now stalker, Josef, who is now sending him photographs of himself and his home. Frightened, Josef calls the police to no avail, as they don’t see enough evidence to investigate. Josef sends a final peace offering to Aaron, who begrudgingly agrees to meet him in public to make amends. Then, the not-so-happy ending takes place.
Found Footage Horror Finally Realized
Creepdoes wonders in doubling down on the elements ofhorror and found-footagethat promote realism so well. Previous films likeThe Blair Witch ProjectandCloverfieldtend to set their sights on the unknown, and all the terrors that entails. ForCreep, its terror is found in expanding not on the unknown, but the capability of the already established.
Josef is human, flesh and bone. We see him introduced with our other characters and themes in the start of the runtime, with the creeping notion of “what is this guy about to do” expanding in your chest until the credits roll. True evil staring you in the face trumps that which shrouds itself behind mystery, something Patrick Brice clearly realizes, and capitalizes on in the surprisingly excellent and unexpected sequel,Creep 2.
