Gotta say, was looking forward to this one - I love Franka Potente and also horror films.
It looked like it wasn't going to get released any time too soon in Australia, so I bought it off eBay (only to look in a video store magazine and see that it's being released on the 22nd of December - a mere three weeks away.) and gave it a watch.
I was already prepared not to be scared too horribly, after reading many reviews, but I have to say, I found it highly enjoyable.
Kate (Potente) is between parties, heading to one where she hopes, among other things, to bed George Clooney. She goes down into the Underground and falls asleep.
Upon waking, she finds the place deserted, except of course for the mad killer who's now hunting her and the people she meets along the way.
Creep is by no means a masterpiece. It is a confused movie, never quite sure when to be scary or not - I know I saw many missed opportunities, not least of all when Kate first sees the titular being. The scene plays as follows: Kate is running through a series of tunnels, with only a torch to guide her. She settles down in one corner, and shuts the light off. Moments later, she turns it on and BAM the Creep is in her face.
The way the scene is played, the Creep stares straight down the camera, with no musical fanfare. It then cuts to a profile shot: the one we left when Kate shut off the light. While the scene is effective, it really only succeeds in making us feel uneasy, as opposed to scared that the Creep is here. Had they done what was obviously the original plan, and had it so that it was the same shot from torch off to torch on, only with the Creeps ghastly face there instead, the scene would have been a good pay off for the tension that had been building up for the entire first act.
However, that aside, the film is fast paced and easy to follow.
I've read many reviews that describe how the film 'descends' into a splatter and gore fest halfway through.
The first half of the film is Kate's world, her trying to get out of the subway, and the film is played as a tense mystery - very little gore (although don't get me wrong, there is still some) and plays as a psychological piece.
The second half, once the Creep is revealed, is a far more disgusting film, grimy, gory and gritty. This is because we have now entered the Creep's domain, and we are treated to his way of life, which, let's face it, ain't awfully nice.
Do a bit of reading and you'll inevitably come across a mention of the 'Surgery Scene'. All I can say is that yes, the scene is disturbing, mainly because it is played so calmly and soberly. It's horrible hearing Mandy's cries for help and her pleading, but there is no real onslaught of music or quick cut camera, and it makes it seem like it is more painful.
In the end, Creep is a movie that you watch, think about, then forget it in place of what you're having for dinner. That said, I liked it a lot and found it very enjoyable, with the exception of the surgery scene.
Definitely worth a look.
7/10
It looked like it wasn't going to get released any time too soon in Australia, so I bought it off eBay (only to look in a video store magazine and see that it's being released on the 22nd of December - a mere three weeks away.) and gave it a watch.
I was already prepared not to be scared too horribly, after reading many reviews, but I have to say, I found it highly enjoyable.
Kate (Potente) is between parties, heading to one where she hopes, among other things, to bed George Clooney. She goes down into the Underground and falls asleep.
Upon waking, she finds the place deserted, except of course for the mad killer who's now hunting her and the people she meets along the way.
Creep is by no means a masterpiece. It is a confused movie, never quite sure when to be scary or not - I know I saw many missed opportunities, not least of all when Kate first sees the titular being. The scene plays as follows: Kate is running through a series of tunnels, with only a torch to guide her. She settles down in one corner, and shuts the light off. Moments later, she turns it on and BAM the Creep is in her face.
The way the scene is played, the Creep stares straight down the camera, with no musical fanfare. It then cuts to a profile shot: the one we left when Kate shut off the light. While the scene is effective, it really only succeeds in making us feel uneasy, as opposed to scared that the Creep is here. Had they done what was obviously the original plan, and had it so that it was the same shot from torch off to torch on, only with the Creeps ghastly face there instead, the scene would have been a good pay off for the tension that had been building up for the entire first act.
However, that aside, the film is fast paced and easy to follow.
I've read many reviews that describe how the film 'descends' into a splatter and gore fest halfway through.
The first half of the film is Kate's world, her trying to get out of the subway, and the film is played as a tense mystery - very little gore (although don't get me wrong, there is still some) and plays as a psychological piece.
The second half, once the Creep is revealed, is a far more disgusting film, grimy, gory and gritty. This is because we have now entered the Creep's domain, and we are treated to his way of life, which, let's face it, ain't awfully nice.
Do a bit of reading and you'll inevitably come across a mention of the 'Surgery Scene'. All I can say is that yes, the scene is disturbing, mainly because it is played so calmly and soberly. It's horrible hearing Mandy's cries for help and her pleading, but there is no real onslaught of music or quick cut camera, and it makes it seem like it is more painful.
In the end, Creep is a movie that you watch, think about, then forget it in place of what you're having for dinner. That said, I liked it a lot and found it very enjoyable, with the exception of the surgery scene.
Definitely worth a look.
7/10