Creep Review
I’ve always been a huge fan of Franka Potente, her and Fairuza Balk are my two favorite female actresses. I was browsing available movies to watch and possibly review, and I just by chance came across Creep, this wonderful gem of a movie starring Franka, which is definitely one of the better ones I’ve seen in recent months.
During the intro credits a girl is seen as well as blood splatters, not too well shown on purpose. After the credits, cut to two sewer tunnel workers, down in the sewers below London, who come across an opening in a wall leading to a new section of tunnel not yet explored by them. George, who can’t swim, stays behind while Arthur goes forward. The single biggest terror scene occurs here, involving only a flashlight and a quick circle of the room. After some unexplained sounds, George reluctantly follows, only to find Arthur injured and in a complete state of shock. Queue a jump scene with the girl from the credits.
Kate, brilliantly played by Franka, is attending a party where her and a friend are planning on going to yet another party being attended by George Clooney. When she finds out her friend has already left, she’s forced to take public transit, and having no luck with taxis she sets off to the subway. The rest of the movie will take place below ground.
After falling into a drunken stuppor at the terminal and missing the last train, Kate finds herself locked in the station for the night, assumingly by herself but she soon finds her “friend” Guy happens to be there as well. High on drugs, he tries to rape her, during which our friendly neighborhood antagonist makes an appearance.
Subways could almost have their own subgenre of horror, just like haunted houses, farms, and caves, and the usual players, dark lighting, endless twisting and turning tunnels, dampness, and rats are all in attendance.
The antagonist is the only vaguely original part here. Craig is the lone survivor of an abandoned underground, most likely illegal, abortion clinic. With the Doctor no where in sight, Craig has survived underground since he was a kid (a photo of him and the Doctor is later found by Kate), he has no real talents except his own mock abortions that he performs on female victims (one of which is the films most disturbing scene), imitating what other people say, and, naturally, killing people for most likely food, survival, and maybe even for fun.
A few other characters come into play, a very unhelpful security manager, druggies Jimmy and Mandy and their ever present dog Ray, and a not-dead-yet George from the movies intro. Together they try and survive the night, although most are not very successful.
The soundtrack done by The Insects did its job in heightening many scenes, as well as the environment. Better to watch this in the dark at a moderate volume with little distractions. Franka and Paul Rattray did the best acting jobs, and as much as I hate to say it, the dog.
I watched this movie twice in the same day, to feel the chill during the intro scenes mostly, Franka’s performance secondly, and for the fun it brings thirdly.
