How 'Creep' (2014) is challenging found footage

Spoilers for Creep 1, Creep 2, and the Creep Tapes

In found footage horror, the camera is the most important detail. Whether it's who's holding it or who is in frame, film is the intentional medium that the story is told through. The narrator, therefore, acts as character-narrator in the present tense. Whatever happens to them, happens to us.

Creep (2014) was written and directed by Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass, based on their real-life experiences of Craigslist ads and online postings. The basis of the film (and consequent sequel and spinoff series) is that ordinary people post or respond to online ads for various reasons, which leads them to one of the various aliases of the proud serial killer played by Duplass. In the first film, he calls himself Josef.

Through the movie, we see through the lens of the victim as they are instantly perplexed by the Josef's eccentricity, which puts the audience at unease from the start. The situation itself, responding to an online ad, is tense enough as anyone who has been on the internet knows. The charisma of the Creep feels odd or even pathetic at times, as we see his attempts to keep the victim in the house throughout. They are, more often than not, successful, as he makes wild promises, movie references, and plays on the desires of the victim. All of these would be available to him through targeting the ads precisely. He almost fishes out the ideal victim to suit his persona on that day.

In the sequel, Creep 2 (2017) we gain more insight to him through the lens of Sara, a young documentary maker who is working on an online series 'Encounters.' She responds to strange online listings and ads, filming them to try and get beneath the taboo of these strange and solitary people. Her failing series takes a turn when she receives an invitation from 'Aaron,' promising $1000 (the same as all his other listings) and an unforgettable experience. It should be noted that 'Aaron' is the name of his victim in the first film. The audience (and Sara) are shocked when the Creep admits upfront that he is a serial killer.

Sara doesn't believe him at all, motivated by the promise of saving her series, and decides almost unanimously to stay and hear him out. To the Creep's disappointment, she fails to respond to his jump scares and oddities, only breaking her stoic character when he stages a fake suicide. It is at this moment that the Creep pulls his signature move which shows who had control this whole time. He takes the camera and turns it on her.

Throughout the films and series, Duplass' character has the most screen time. Episode 5 of The Creep Tapes only shows the victim in frame for a few seconds. This ought to give his character a feeling of subject-ship. He is, after all, under constant observation, needing to maintain his character while leading his victims around the unfamiliar settings every episode, not giving away his real plans. However, the Creep maintains control both on and off camera, it is only when the role switches and he becomes the film-maker that he shows his true face.

In the series finale, there are moments when the camera is taken from him by his own mother, as we get more background on his upbringing, that she is the one who 'lent' it to him. Even in moments where he holds the camera, we see his reflection, affirming the idea that the 'tapes' are an egotistic portfolio of his murders.

Episode 5 of the series is most notable, framed as an argument between himself and his returning character 'Peachfuzz' (a large wolf mask). The relationship between himself and this character shifts at various moments, from a breakup-like confrontation to a nostalgic scene where he recounts the two of them growing up as wolf brothers. The tape is edited to show both characters on screen at the same time, a stark contrast to the minimal editing style of the previous episodes and films. This is perhaps the most perplexing episode. The Creep appears conflicted, torn between pursuing his murderous career alone, wondering if he can even succeed 'solo.' The Peachfuzz persona is weighing him down, but he feels imperfect without it.

This episode is an intriguing insight to his motivations. He continues acting out the planned murder when his victim is late to the motel (an unusual setting, considering most previous murders happened in various large houses.) The episode even culminates him him being held hostage by Peachfuzz, tied up to a shower and doused with cold water, as he says 'You've go the camera now... somebody wants to be a big wolf.'

It's evident through this line that the camera holds power to him. He takes the role of a victim seeing his own character change and reveal itself over time. This is what he believes his victims feel, impressed, almost admiration, pride to be at his hands, and all of it to the mercy of the camera.

The victim of the second film does escape eventually, but she is not free from his camera, as the final scene of the movie is a montage of distant shots of Sara on public transport or walking around the city. Even in this public setting, the Creep is bold, the camera is the source of his power and confidence. His constant movie references throughout the series leads, and further exposition in the series finale, reveal that he always had an interest in movies, bonding over them with his mother to the point that he adopted aspects of Forrest Gump to his own patchwork childhood.

The non-linear narrative of Creep's life and career as a filmmaker-serial killer is a bold one to take. Found footage often doesn't appear in sequential order (see Marble Hornets) and the audience is forced to put the pieces together. In Creep, every detail is to be doubted. We learn that his mother is the one that taught him his skills, both in filmmaking and murder, and subtly critiques his form. The power structure shifts in that episode, revealing a more genuine, vulnerable side to him.

Nonetheless, the audience is horrified by humanity when his character breaks. It is the comedic moments like these that hit the hardest. We are used to emotionless, manipulative murderers on screen, it's more striking to see these characters as human. When Peachfuzz gets locked in the closet and all that's left is just the man, that's when we realize just who we have been following, almost supporting, in his career. And the whole time, he was in control.

Found footage is a popular medium for supernatural horror. The audience follows the victim, seeing what they see in real time. More often than not, the person holding the camera is not the person who shares the footage later on.

There is nothing supernatural about Creep. In this case, the tapes are trophies, displayed to us, curated, written, and directed with intent and pride. That's the most chilling part of them.