'STRONG. BLOODY. VIOLENCE.' screamed the advertising campaign for this little British horror. Obviously knowing what the audience want and expect it was a rather clever move to use words usually found on the backs of DVDs as warning as a promotional tool. The Daily Mail may not like the idea but violence, like sex, sells. Of course with such a bold statement comes the duty to fulfil that expectation. It also needs to make sure it has something other than buckets of blood because horror fans like their scares as well as body parts lying all over the place. So does Creep succeed or has it missed the last train?
Party girl Kate is about to have a rough night. Stuck at a booze up that's going nowhere other than advances from serial womanizer Guy (Jeremy Sheffield) she decides what any sane woman would do, go to another party in the hope of having sex with George Clooney. Not wanting to keep George waiting by getting a taxi she decides to head down to the Underground. Unfortunately she dozes off while waiting for a train and wakes up to find the station deserted, locked up and eerily quiet. However just before total panic sets in a train pulls up on the platform and she jumps on in. Kate might think she's alone on the train but she's in for a shock because there's a decidedly nasty person also along for the ride. Soon Kate finds herself at the mercy on some freak of the Underground who seems intent on tracking her down and, well, making a meal of her. It seems like Kate should have got that taxi.
One of the huge advantages Creep has is its setting. The London Underground
isn't the nicest of places to be in the day let alone when you're on your own there at night. Then there are all the myths about the 'sewer people' that live down there and kidnap people to have a quick snack. It all makes for lovely horror setting material, dark, dank and with a past. It also helps to set it in a place where many people go to, not an old mansion on top of the hill, and while sometimes the film isn't entirely plausible (are stations totally locked up and do they really have no staff at all late at night?) it still uses what it has to its potential. The film also takes a while to slowly build up to the Creep, at first only offering out of shot glimpses or off camera grabbing's. It's always more scary when you can't see the perpetrator and it's still the same here. There are a few memorable scenes. The one that will stick with most people will be the 'operating' scene which is something a lot of people would want to watch with their eyes half closed. Disturbing as it is violent it shows that Creep is serious about what it advertised.
However, despite a promising start Creep soon loses its shine and turns into a rather average movie. The main problem is, with many films of this kind, the revealing on the monster. Unfortunately the 'creep' just isn't that creepy once we see it. It lacks any terror that it once had because it looks a bit like Golem from Lord of the Rings. Once it is revealed the film then descends into a lot of running down tunnels with a whole lot of shrieking coming from its mouth that gets more annoying than scary. A second problem with the film, and one that it begins with, is that the female protagonist isn't all that likeable. Kate is shown to be a drug taking, self obsessed yuppie that London seems to be crawling with, hardly material for people to root for. Of course on one had this is commendable, we cant have all our horror movie girls pure virgins but too much reality and it can spoil it. The finished result is that some people will root for her, some people will hate her but most won't be that bothered. This isn't because she is likeable or not but because we just aren't given a proper insight to her as a character, she's thrust into the role of panicked woman straight away without giving the audience much of impression as her as a whole. Also on the list of not-so-good things is that the film alludes to a few other things going on. The disused hospital down below the depths of London suggests a back story to the Creep but it just makes a fleeting show of it and then nothing else is shown. It begs the question as to why it was shown in the first place. The Creep with no history is better than the Creep with a part history that couldn't be bothered to be expanded upon.
While Kate may not be likeable it's hard not to warm to Potente. The poor woman runs, screams and gets awfully wet in her little yellow dress. She may be essentially be playing a spoilt bitch but you have to feel sorry for what she has to do. Director Christopher Smith just about gets the balance right between her being damn petrified of the situation with a determination to get out of it. Paul Rattray gives a nice performance of homeless, drug taking Jimmy. It's a shame that he's somewhat of a cliché tramp but he seems to be put in as a sort of parallel to Kate. He's destitute but nice she's rich but a bit of a cow. It works quite well and some people will end up rooting for him but sometimes the film can drag away from the main action a bit longer than it should to explore the 'tramp and his girlfriend' side story. A mention has to go to the guy who plays the Creep. Spending hours getting kitted out for that role must have been a drag. Although, from watching the DVD, he seems to have taken the role a bit too seriously (read: he was a pretentious weirdo) he plays it pretty well. Smith was obviously going for the angle that we would have empathy for the Creep. Unfortunately due to the lack of back story it really doesn't pay off.
And what of the 'STRONG. BLOODY. VIOLCENCE'?. Well there is blood and violence and, yes, pretty strong but it's hardly something you won't see in countless other horror films. There are some delightfully bloody bits dotted around the film to keep people happy, throats are cut, people slashed and blood spurts copiously. However those horror fans thinking its going to be blood all the way will feel a little let down on what those teaser ads led you to believe. Despite the build up the gore for this film isn't plentiful which will please those who want a more 'scary' viewing but let down those people who think we get lots of hacking up action. Indeed much of the violence is off screen and suggestive until much later in the film.
Creep may not be setting a new standard for horror and it does let itself down at times but for fans of the genre its still worthy of a look. At times it shows just how good it could have been before it descended into a paint-by-numbers horror. It's also nice to see a film made in Britain that isn't a gangster flick or a romantic comedy…or a film with Hugh Grant in it. With a bit more time crafting around the rough and unfinished edges Creep leaves it could have stood out a bit more from the horror crowd. Instead Creep joins a list of films with good ideas that were unfulfilled.
CREEP IS
Promising at first Memorable at times Blessed with a good location
CREEP IS NOT
Full of violence All it could have been That different from other horrors
Part of the HALLOWEEN SEASON 2005. See the Season in full at my website www.reel13.homestead.com
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I've heard so much about this film and it seems to be on every shelf in every shop selling dvd's in the country hehe thanx for the insight sounds a bit overrated but worth a few quid to buy and watch maybe(-:
Vodkaboy 13.02.2006 03:11
Watched this last night, hadn't heard of it before. Quite enjoyed it - fair bit of gratuitous blood and quite a few moments where we jumped. But yes, Kate is not especially likeable; Jimmy and George were both more sympathetic characters, and the hints of the Creep's background were left hanging. Oh well, one to watch once but not again!
cocoklo 21.12.2005 20:11
I think I'll have to give this one a miss then!! Shame, I quite fancied it when I read the tagline!! Thanks. Chloe x
Ever missed the last train?London, midnight, on a cold evening. Unable to find a taxi, ... more
Kate (Franka Potente 'The Bourne Identity/Supremacy') heads for the Underground. She takes a seat away from the crowd of late-night revellers and waits for the last ...
Your journey terminates here. London midnight on a cold evening. Unable to find a taxi ... more
Kate (Franka Potente) heads for the Underground. She takes a seat away from the crowd of late-night revelers and waits for the last train. Before long she drifts...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: Cushing and Lee at the height of their horrific powers. Splendid story. Excellent direction. Disadvantages: The creature when fully revealed, but isn't on screen that long anyway.
paramanjara 24.07.2007 (24.07.2007)
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