“The Creep Tapes,” created by Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass, continues the “Creep” franchise after the success of the two found footage movies. The show follows Josef (Mark Duplass), also known as Peachfuzz, as he goes on a murderous spree killing those who stand in his way. Each episode is a new tape recorded by the killer featuring stories of different victims. The first three episodes premiered at Fantastic Fest and all six will be released on Shudder later this year.
Whether or not audiences have seen the “Creep” movies, the show does a good job of explaining who Peachfuzz is and setting up the series premise of following a video diary as he takes out victims one by one. The found footage element works nicely in a TV format and might be a first for the horror genre.
Episode one stands as the strongest episode of the first three. It gets very meta and utilizes dark comedy very well. Josef slowly unravels his secrets to his victim all while putting on a performance that’ll leave audiences unfamiliar with the character a nice surprise by the end of the episode. The self-referential nature of the writing in this episode blends with its clever plot devices to make for an episode that’s not only terrifying but also an authentic experience of second-hand embarrassment.
Episode two gets a lot more personal. This episode breaks down the psyche of Peachfuzz and takes audiences into the inner machinations of his mind. It’s very interesting to watch him slowly go insane throughout the tape, but some visual elements make it hard to understand what’s real and what’s fake. Despite the average television script, Duplass gives it his all and has one of the best performances of the three episodes. It’s watching a one-act play with a single actor. Duplass has the aura of an actor who can make things up as he goes with ease.
Episode three fails to meet the same level of quality as the other two episodes. It’s the most bland and ultimately dragged down the overall experience. The revelations about Peachfuzz’s home life proves interesting, but its predictability leading up to a final moment is just for the shock value. It felt as though it was a last-second joke squeezed in rather than something essential to the story.
“The Creep Tapes” has a promising start, but varies in quality as episodes are released. The format of a TV show works well for the franchise and goes to show that any horror movie franchise can become a short-form series if they have the guts to attempt it.
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