I deeply appreciate Yuri Habuka's excellent, dramatic score, filled with somber strings and horns realizing minor chords. The music does so much to build tense, disquieting atmosphere even before anything especially odd begins to manifest. Together with the highly unusual, unsettling behavior of the protagonist's new neighbors, and the mystery introduced of the unsolved case, 'Creepy' manages most deftly to hold our attention. With these aspects in mind, the runtime progresses unexpectedly quickly for how little the plot initially advances; I was surprised to glance at the clock and find that 40 minutes had already passed. And so it goes: it's easy to become invested in the story as it unfolds, until in no time we're wholly absorbed.
I've been very impressed with filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa's prowess as both writer and director with several other pictures of his that I've seen, and 'Creepy' absolutely further solidifies my opinion of him. He has an outstanding gift, a keen eye for arranging fetching shots and scenes, and here especially those skills are employed with wonderful dexterity to construct a disturbing tale with refined subtlety. Furthermore, the adapted screenplay Kiyoshi penned with Chihiro Ikeda is a marvel in its slow, measured development. Suspense and a definite sense of horror gradually build with terrible unease, woven through every successive scene of the puzzle as it forms an increasingly grisly portrait. The characters are dazzlingly complex, the dialogue is engrossing, the scene writing is phenomenal, and the narrative as a whole is plainly masterful - grotesquely dark, but completely riveting, and unquestionably brilliant.
Of course the technical craft and rounding details are superb - set design and decoration above all, but also costume design, hair and makeup, effects, props, lighting, and sound design. The image is crisp and clear throughout, making the tableau all the more visceral - and the cast is terrific, all giving dynamic performances filled with gratifying range, nuance, and force of personality. It would be easy to speak at far greater length to give praise to every individual who contributed their abilities here, but make no mistake, in all ways the feature is exceptional. And what it all amounts to is film-making supporting a sterling screenplay, and all tied together with Kurosawa's characteristically exquisite direction.
The title is searingly appropriate, and the picture is sufficiently discomforting that I wouldn't recommend it to any viewer who is easily perturbed. Otherwise, however, this is so splendidly well made that I must heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers. 'Creepy' is strikingly captivating, entertaining, and satisfying, and well worth seeking out wherever one may find it.
I've been very impressed with filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa's prowess as both writer and director with several other pictures of his that I've seen, and 'Creepy' absolutely further solidifies my opinion of him. He has an outstanding gift, a keen eye for arranging fetching shots and scenes, and here especially those skills are employed with wonderful dexterity to construct a disturbing tale with refined subtlety. Furthermore, the adapted screenplay Kiyoshi penned with Chihiro Ikeda is a marvel in its slow, measured development. Suspense and a definite sense of horror gradually build with terrible unease, woven through every successive scene of the puzzle as it forms an increasingly grisly portrait. The characters are dazzlingly complex, the dialogue is engrossing, the scene writing is phenomenal, and the narrative as a whole is plainly masterful - grotesquely dark, but completely riveting, and unquestionably brilliant.
Of course the technical craft and rounding details are superb - set design and decoration above all, but also costume design, hair and makeup, effects, props, lighting, and sound design. The image is crisp and clear throughout, making the tableau all the more visceral - and the cast is terrific, all giving dynamic performances filled with gratifying range, nuance, and force of personality. It would be easy to speak at far greater length to give praise to every individual who contributed their abilities here, but make no mistake, in all ways the feature is exceptional. And what it all amounts to is film-making supporting a sterling screenplay, and all tied together with Kurosawa's characteristically exquisite direction.
The title is searingly appropriate, and the picture is sufficiently discomforting that I wouldn't recommend it to any viewer who is easily perturbed. Otherwise, however, this is so splendidly well made that I must heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers. 'Creepy' is strikingly captivating, entertaining, and satisfying, and well worth seeking out wherever one may find it.