Creep (I) (2004) User Reviews

Run from the creep Lola, RUN!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 20 March 2005]

"Creep" is a new horror film that, without a doubt, will please many genre fans simply because it's so down to the point and unscrupulous! It has many genuine shock-moments, a whole lot of repulsive gore-sequences and a rare claustrophobic tension. What it hasn't got is logic and a solid plot but, to tell you the truth, that didn't bother me for one second. When the end-credits start to roll, there are still many unanswered questions to ponder on but director/writer Christopher Smith (in his debut) seemly preferred to fully focus on tension and adrenalin-rushing action instead of long, soporific speeches and theories that could explain the existence of the "creep" in the London subway. The story revolves on the young and haughty Kate, who leaves her own party in order to go and meet the famous actor George Clooney who's in town to present his new film. She falls asleep in the subway, misses the last train and she finds herself trapped in the underground subway network. Things really get terrifying when she encounters a mad-raving lunatic who lives in the old tunnels and kills/kidnaps people to experiment upon. Even experienced homeless people, security guards or sewer-workers can't rescue her from this ravenous monster! I really dug the creep-character! He's nauseating, hideous and primitive but in a strange way fascinating. Christopher Smith only leaves us clues and hints, and it's merely up to the viewer to guess this vile creature's origin and background. I reckon this isn't very original, and I'm sure many people won't appreciate the lack of content, but I forgive Smith and I think it's better this way than going over the top completely, "Jeepers Creepers"-style (that particular film started out great as well, but as soon as the Creeper's identity was clear it turned into a very mediocre horror effort). The obvious aspect-to-love is the outrageous gore! There's some severe butchering going on in this film and the make-up, as well as the sound effects, are very convincing. The ominous setting of the abandoned London subway during night is effectively used. There also is some acting-talent present in this film, with Franka Potenta (Run Lola Run) returning to graphic horror nearly five years after the cool German film "Anatomie". Creep is terrific entertainment when you're in an undemanding mood and Christopher Smith definitely is a director I'll keep an eye on. Make sure you don't have to take the subway right after watching this film...

What a sickly, demented creep!

[lost-in-limbo · 6/10 · 21 October 2006]

After leaving a party one night, Kate heads to a London subway. But being a bit drunk, she nods off and when she finally awakes, she realises she's alone and has been locked in. Now she's panicking, but a train pulls up and to her surprise no one else is on board. After a few seconds the train comes to sudden halt and Kate comes to the realisation that someone or something is lurking down there, which has some nasty surprises waiting for Kate.

When watching "Creep", what entered my mind was that I was seeing the backwoods horror slasher "Wrong Turn (2003)" basically set in a subway, but only more bloodier and incredibly cruel. I get the train to work and back, but I'm just glad that there are no subway systems on my journeys. But there's no doubting public transport can be the pits.

Christopher Smith the writer and director of this slick British Indie subterranean horror flick presents one very tight and atmospherically Gothic feature that benefits highly from its relentless surge of twisted and ragged jolts. It's gruesome, mean-spirited and unflinching terror is mostly delivered in a serious manner, despite the script being sprinkled with quick-witted remarks. The damp, isolated and claustrophobic setting of the poorly lit tunnels makes a huge imprint on the disorientating cloud the audience and main protagonist face. Smith integrates some flashy and rapid techniques. The versatile hand held photography adds a real moody and intimate vibe amongst the very effective sound effects and creaky understated music score. Hitting the mark was the graphic and always on the ball makeup effects. The appearance of the hideously unusual subway dweller just lingers in your mind and when it came to the kills it didn't disappoint.

However, there are things that really do bring the film down. By the third act it starts to wear a bit thin with predictable jumps and wearisome clichés. The story is terribly vague from the get-go. Illogical patterns and stupid circumstances unravel throughout the string-like plot. Originality comes in minor doses, but in all, there's a nice sense of realism and a speeding train-like pace created to keep you mostly involved. Franka Potente gives a strong, flexible and quite capable performance as Kate and the amusing Vas Blackwood gets caught up in the gruel too.

A very nasty and dour slasher that won't blow you away, but it provides the nightmarish thrills and intensity one would hope for.

Atmospheric and underrated.

[Lycangeist · 7/10 · 8 May 2019]

Decent little British horror. Basic plot, Woman gets trapped in a subway overnight. Unfortunately for her, shes not alone. Characters are a bit stereotypical, however Sean Harris' portrayal of the antagonist will make your skin crawl. Pretty fast paced, action packed with a satisfying resolution. Give it ago if you like "The Descent" or "Wrong Turn".

Not a great deal of sense, but reasonably entertaining

[Danny_G13 · 6/10 · 5 June 2005]

Brit horror successfully marries suspense and gore to create a more than decent movie.

Franka Potente is Kate, a socialite on her way to a party in London where George Clooney (Yes really) is believed to be hanging at and where she will attempt to seduce him (Yup, I'm not kidding).

However, she falls asleep at the subway station and misses the last train, leaving her trapped inside. Jeremy Sheffield's Guy is pursuing her though, and when a train finally arrives (Yes, the logic's already disintegrating), he appears out of nowhere and tries to rape her. Unfortunately for him, there is a real killer in the underground who drags him off her and wounds him fatally.

The rest of the movie is killer-pursues-Kate.

Quite frankly the logic in this one was never meant to be particularly strong. It's not even obvious that she fell asleep while waiting for the train, and instead it could have been mindgames. And indeed, mindgames seem to be the only explanation for some of the slightly ludicrous events which occur in the first half.

Nonetheless, this movie is about running away from the bad guy, whose appearance and identity imply he's 'not normal' (Are they ever), and to this end the film does a decent enough job. Once the bizarre first half hour of silliness is past, it is simple enough fare, with more than a hint of severe gore.

There's little more that can be said, such is the basic nature of this, but if you accept the intrinsic daftness of some of it, you'll get a reasonable kick out it if you like the genre.

Seen worse.

If you live in London you have to see this.

[cardech · 31 August 2004]

Just saw this at a preview at the Prince Charles in London. Luckily I didn't have to get the tube on the way home afterwards. A great film for everyone who has ever got the tube late at night and thought to themselves that there has GOT to be a great horror film in this experience!

Creep is exactly what you would expect having seen the poster. It is scary in all the right places, fast paced, well edited and has a great, eerie soundtrack . Those who don't like horror films needn't waste their time but afficiondos will appreciate as a fine example of the art. It comes with the expected STUPID moments where you wish the characters would do something sensible but that, in many ways, is part of the fun isn't it!?

The lead character is pretty unsympathetic which doesn't help but the horrible and unflattering yellow dress she is wearing is partly to blame as well.

The tube stations look fantastic - empty and creepy a la An American Werewolf in London and the whole design is very effective.

You know exactly what you are getting with this film - an efficient modern horror movie with jumps and suspense in all the right places. As with 28 Days Later it's setting alone makes it a must see for anyone who lives in London or uses the tube regularly.

Overall, four stars. It won't change your life and it probably won't make you scared to get the tube but it will raise your pulse, keep you entertained and might make you think twice about getting the last train home.

The director and star gave a q and a session after the screening and they seemed genuinely nice and were clearly pleased with the film, as they should be. Just watch out for the rats which are only pretending to die.....apparently.

Strange, strange film

[Catakiosk · 7/10 · 11 September 2004]

I just saw this film last night at Toronto Film Festival where it was playing under the Midnight Madness section. To tell you the truth, the only reason why I went for this movie was because it shared its name with the Radiohead song, and also because my friend had bought the tickets so I really didn't have a choice :-D I went in expecting it to be something like The Silence of the Lambs, but it turned out to be semi-gore flick. Somebody has already mentioned that none of the characters are likable, and that is absolutely correct. I really couldn't care less if Potente's character got her entrails ripped out by the Creep. I was rooting for the homeless to make it out alive with Potente's character getting her just desserts. Christopher Smith has certainly done a great job with the visual aspect of the film. However, the story is rather weak, but then again the whole point of the movie was to scare the crap out of you and it did that quite effectively. The score by a Bristol band called The Insects was top notch. That, more than anything else, really scared the crap out of me.

The director was a really decent chap and was quite entertaining during the Q&A session. I really do hope he gets to make better films in the future.

This one is strictly for genre fans, but I'd recommend non-fans to give this a try anyway. It was a fun ride.

works against its own ideas

[snow0r · 3/10 · 20 April 2007]

Creep is the story of Kate (Potente), an intensely unlikeable bourgeois bitch that finds herself somehow sleeping through the noise of the last underground train, and waking up to find herself locked in the tube station. After somehow meeting workmate and would-be rapist Guy on a mystery train that runs after the lines have closed, things go awry and she finds herself pursued by what lurks beneath the city's streets. Her story is linked to that of George (Blackwood), an ex-con working in the sewer system; they meet in the final third of the film, brought together by their attempts to escape the monster that pursues them.

The pair proceed through a set of increasingly unlikely locations; from the Tube station, they end up in the sewage works before somehow finding themselves in some sort of abandoned underground surgery. Most Tube stations don't have toilets, so how one has a surgery is beyond me. Naturally, the film cares to explain that the surgery doesn't have running water. Yet it has electricity? Just one of many inconsistencies that work against the atmosphere of everyday believability that the film tries to create.

The monster itself is a problem. There's a complete lack of reasoning for its actions, it just kills people for no obvious reason. And then of course it keeps some alive for no real reason either, perhaps just so that they can eventually escape and give the film an extra 15 minutes or so running time. I understand that natural evil is supposed to be scary, but then the film attempts to explain itself via a photo of a doctor and his son, and a few shots of some jars containing babies, and yes, it is just as tired and pathetic as it sounds. It also fails to explain how the creature has been underground long enough to lose the ability to speak, communicating only in raptor screams, but not long enough for its pair of shorts to decay. Hmm.

This doctor business leads to scene that is the film's desperate attempt to implant itself on your memory, and while it is gory and uncomfortable to watch, it just isn't enough. The final third of the film hinges on an emotional relationship that never existed, and the characters break down and recover for little or no obvious reason. George breaks down, unable to cope with something despite stating that he wants to escape so he can see his daughter again, and Kate becomes emotionally tough seconds after going to pieces over someone that ripped her off for a travelcard. Yeah.

After starting out as a "this could happen to anyone" movie, it quickly falls apart as it introduces ideas that make it more and more unrealistic. A complete lack of emotional interest in the characters and an absence of suspense make this one to avoid.

Horror in the tunnels under London

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 18 September 2020]

As this film opens two workers are walking through a London sewer; one of them discovers a collapsed wall. Behind it there is a tunnel he has never seen before... it soon becomes apparent that there is something there. The action then cuts to an office party where Kate, a German woman, rejects the advances of a man named Guy before leaving. She head to Charing Cross tube station but fall asleep on the platform and misses the last train. She is now locked in the apparently empty station. When a train stops she boards. Shortly after it pulls out of the station it stops again. It soon emerges that she is not alone; Guy is on board the train and he attempts to rape her... someone, or something, pulls Guy off her; there is clearly something more dangerous down there. While trying to escape she encounters others in the station... not many of them will survive to the morning.

This is an effective low budget horror movie. The setting is great; both the closes tube station and the sewer tunnels are naturally creepy locations without the added menace of an unknown being that is attacking people. The earlier parts of the film, before we actually see what or who is killing people are perhaps better as what we don't see is usually scarier than what we do. Once we do see the attacker the scares still come, with several quite gory attacks. The explanation as to his origins are perhaps unnecessary but don't detract from the story. Horror fans should certainly enjoy this as once the danger to Kate becomes apparent the tension rarely drops. The cast is solid; most notably Franka Polente, who impresses as Kate. Overall I wouldn't say this is a must see but I'd still say it is well worth watching if you are a horror fan.

Moments of horror greatness squandered

[trouserpress · 3/10 · 4 May 2007]

The London Underground has something inherently creepy about it, with its long winding tunnels, the escalators taking you deeper and deeper underground, and of course the rats roaming the tracks.It a source of wonder that it is not used in horror films more often. It was used in the seventies horror Deathline aka Raw Meat, featuring a cannibalistic tribe living in a disused tunnel, and the celebrated chase sequence in American Werewolf in London. So I was pleased to see that someone else had tried to capitalise on the atmosphere of the tube at night with the recent UK production Creep.

I thought the film started off well, with a highly effective credit sequence that was genuinely unnerving, followed by a scene in the sewers that sets up the premise of there being something evil lurking below the streets of London. However, Creep went downhill from here, and I found myself wishing that I'd switched it off after this opening scene, leaving me with a favourable impression of the film. All the characters become unsympathetic and unlikable, even Potente herself, and the director felt the need to hit us over the head with social commentary about homelessness. he also made the mistake of showing the "monster" in full lighting, where he ceases to become remotely scary, and reveals his name to be Craig. How can you have a monster called Craig? It turns into an X Files-type thing, and reminds one of the episode Tombs. In fact, I was wishing Mulder and Scully would turn up and sort them all out for me.

As for the infamous sexualised violence, it is very graphic, disturbing and totally unnecessary. It seems to be there merely to shock the audience rather than for any intrinsic plot value. The trouble is it is so over the top and horrific that it actually numbs you to the rest of the horror, which is a mistake as it's only halfway through the film.

So there you go. The only redeeming feature of the film for me was a rare appearance from Ken Campbell, one of my favourite occasional actors. You don't see him very often, but when he's on screen he acts everyone else into a corner. Casting him as a sewer inspector was a stroke of genius, unfortunately the only one evident in the film.

Better than some recent Horror Movies, But still wide of the mark

[mjw2305 · 6/10 · 31 July 2005]

Creep doesn't do what its title suggests, it isn't exactly creepy, but it is pretty violent and gruesome. The story is fairly linear and has no plot holes that i noticed and the acting and script are OK.

The problem with Creep is that it doesn't really do anything to set it apart from the rest of the Horror crowd, but when compared to some its not to bad.

With floods of horror movies in recent years (Toolbox Murders, Grudge, White Noise, Descent, Boogeyman to name but a few) Creep is left languishing in mediorcratity.

For horror fanatics, its worth watching and it can hold its own in the genre. For movie lovers in general there is not enough here to warrant your time.

6/10

could have been so much better....

[lucymcbrucy · 4/10 · 19 September 2005]

The potential was there. I saw Creep and thought, 'Oooh, this is getting interesting' several times. Yet somehow the interesting plot lines wound up unexplained or ignored, like they never happened. The lead character was irritating throughout the movie, and at one point my fella and I both shouted that we wanted her to die. There are some genuinely spooky/scary moments, but these are grossly overshadowed by the moments that just annoyed the hell out of me. It's another one of those horror movies that crops up and intrigues you for a while, but ultimately leaves you frustrated and a little confused about what the movie makers were trying to achieve.

The one saving grace of this movie is the bad guy, but when the baddie is more likable than the lead character you know you're on to a loser.

Bloody Northern Line

[vmvm · 8/10 · 30 January 2005]

This is good little shocker; not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but tight, competent and disturbing. An excellent example of a simple idea developed into a compelling 90 minute script.

The set up requires no bells and whistles, no lengthy exposition or wordy back story; Kate (Franka Pontente), a young German business woman living in London, drifts off whilst waiting for the last tube train. She awakens to find the place deserted, but quickly comes to realise that she is far from alone. Someone, or something, is down there with her and it's intentions are wholly malicious.

In fact she encounters several other characters in her quest to survive, including a lecherous work colleague, a homeless couple and a caged sewage worker, all of whom add pace and substance to the plot. There is a slightly awkward gear change somewhere in the middle of the film when tension thriller mutates into gore fest, but nothing so clumsy as to slow the hectic pace. For those of you with weak dispositions this is likely to be a harrowing ride; for those of you who relish a bit of well executed carnal mayhem this should press all the right buttons.

The climax of the film is perhaps less successful than the main body of the film, but it is punctuated with a nice moment of unexpected social commentary which provides a satisfying conclusion.

Some may find themselves feeling somewhat cheated of a clear explanation as to the exact nature and history of the threat encountered by Kate and her confederates, however, for me this was not the case. A horror film writer should not need feel compelled to dot every i and cross every t, in the same way a writer of political thrillers might be expected to. There are enough clues here to give you a very pretty clear idea of what brought this evil into existence, making a detailed and conclusive solution superfluous. The retention of a certain sense of mystery is to be welcomed and reminds us that in this film the ride was always going to be more important than the exact destination.

My understanding is that the budget for this film was, to say the least, minimal, in which case our applause for this British horror should be all the louder, for at no point does one have the impression of corners being cut or effects failing to deliver.

If this sounds like your kind of film then it probably is. Buy a ticket and climb aboard.

Effectively made horror thriller

[wellthatswhatithinkanyway · 7/10 · 18 June 2005]

STAR RATING: ***** Unmissable **** Very Good *** Okay ** You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead * Avoid At All Costs

Stuck-up career bitch Kate (Franka Potente) heads to the London underground to catch a train to take her to meet George Clooney. However, after a hectic working day, she dozes off and awakens to find herself alone in a deserted platform. As she races off on a situation taking her from one daunting encounter to the next, however, she learns of something far more malign and evil waiting for her out there.

In a lot of ways, the British Film Industry is really becoming one on it's own, especially in the horror thriller department, with films such as Creep and the successful 28 Days Later (which this has strong echoes of in parts.) In terms of succeeding in what it set out to do, Creep does cleverly create (especially at the beginning) a scary sense of isolation and tense fear. At it's clever running time, it also (though inadvertently, I suspect) manages to pay homage to some of those pioneer high-concept horror films from the 70s that rely on shocks and fear through-out without really focusing too much on character development and such.

Of it's weaknesses, some scenes are a little predictable, but these don't really succeed in making it less scary or effective in any way. I'm not sure if the ending was meant to make it come off as some sort of morality play and it's not exactly perfect, but it's certainly very effective and serves it's basic function very well. ***

You always end up hating the main character

[ZiggyStardust72 · 1/10 · 25 August 2006]

......in a horror movie that is. Alright first off , lets start with Kate. Her main goals include getting laid by George Clooney, looking good and last but not least screwing everyone over. Gotta love her. She had about 3 amazingly good chances to finish off this sicko but ..... instead she ran. I mean she didn't wanna bring Guy out for 10 minutes and when she did it was too late. I mean the guy tried to rape her. I cant get into these movies where the main character is a sad idiot. I mean who honestly would have any sympathy for a guy who finishes off everyone she has meet in a night. The movie kept going on. And as a result lost all its credibility.

Good start and little more

[Agnelin · 26 January 2008]

This is a could-have-been that starts out on an attractive premise, but fails to deliver and ends up looking like the makers were too ambitious and wanted to make a horror movie that would work on different levels, with more than just one basic plot line, but ended up with a messy movie that really goes nowhere, just like the tube that the protagonist gets into at the beginning.

The movie begins with a sequence in the sewage system of London, where two employees are doing their maintenance work. Suddenly, something goes wrong and they're attacked by someone or something that we don't get to see. Then it switches over to a party, where we meet Kate (Franka Potente), a young woman who needs to leave to meet her friend. She goes to take the underground, but falls asleep while waiting for her ride. When she wakes up, the train has arrived, but there's nobody at the station. She gets on the underground, only to find out she's all alone there too...

The introduction is certainly appealing to the horror buff, and we're led to believe that we're in for a movie that will explore our fear of being trapped, the "underworld" (both in a real and metaphorical way), the dark, claustrophobia... Instead, the movie soon chooses to follow a different plot line, which, in my opinion, is much less interesting and much more conventional, more oriented to commercial success and to please those viewers who look for easy scares and blood-packed, gory scenes. The ending isn't fulfilling in the least, and seems sudden and not very well written or connected to what we've already seen.

Dis-tur-bing

[view_and_review · 6/10 · 7 March 2021]

There are horror movies that are scary and there are horror movies that are disturbing; this is the disturbing kind.

Kate (Franka Potente, best known for "Bourne: Identity") was on her way to a party when she dozed off in the subway station. She woke up to find the place locked up and there was no way out. It wasn't long before she was on the run from a deformed killer.

"Creep" was dark, claustrophobic, and unsettling. Firstly, she's stuck underground amongst miles of tunnels with no way out which is already a frightening thought. Secondly, it's dark, dank, and filthy. Thirdly, there's a psychotic killer after her. The whole movie was hair-raising.

There were a couple of scary movie tropes I could've done without.

1. They made the killer super strong. In this case it didn't add up because he was an emaciated deformity and they weren't consistent with his strength. One scene he's lifting a guy up by his head to kill him and in another scene he's struggling to carry a dead body.

2. Not killing the villain at the first opportunity. In order to save George (Vas Blackwood, best known for "Snatch"), another captive, Kate stabbed the killer in the eye with her high heel shoe. Great move. Instead of the two of them killing him, or even putting him in one of the cages, they ran. Running wasn't the best option because they didn't know where they were going and predictably he caught up to them again.

I still like the movie as far as scary movies go. This was a gory slasher along the lines of "Hostel" that set out to turn your stomach, and it did that.

Underrated

[Raezersharp · 7/10 · 29 April 2022]

Being trapped in the subway all alone with someone/something sinister is one of my irrational yet very real (for me) fears. Having taken the subway super late at night when I'm basically one of the only people there. It's very creepy and sometimes the people out there late at night can seem sinister. Love that this film encapsulates and brings to the forefront this fear so effectively for the first half. Second half is a little less intense, once you figure out more details about the "creep." Still a really solid horror movie though, and super underrated.

waste of time

[stuart-arnold-1 · 1/10 · 27 August 2007]

The film began with a good opening with a promise of an intriguing plot but, unfortunately like most modern horror films, the film was severally let down by Clichéd events, "I will stand with my back to this broken window, whilst we are been hunted", two dimensional character "I am a girl I can not hurt an unarmed murderer" , and awful script "I will shout and scream, even though the bad guy is searching for me' and uninspired finale 'how to kill the bad guy and not get my hands dirty in the process'. I wonder why the British film industry allows this sort of work to be financed and produced. The writer/ director gets a C for effort!

another reason NOT to trust the subway system!

[stephen-dhondt · 7/10 · 14 May 2005]

I added the spoiler warning, but I don't really think it was necessary, so please, do read on :)

Every review I read of this film was the same; they killed it and buried it six feet under. Not even one critic could spare a kind word for lead actress Franka Potente (Run Lola Run, The Bourne Identity, Blow, Anatomy) who has always been a favorite of mine. So that's why I just had to see this film, I couldn't believe that Potente had made a bad movie choice, so I had to see for myself.

Kate (Potente) is a young woman who tries to take the last train to a party but falls asleep and misses it. She finds herself locked in an empty subway station ... empty? not quite! one of her "friends" has followed her and tries to rape her. But before He can even pull off his pants he is dragged into one of the tunnels by 'something'. Kate now finds herself running for her life, aided by a homeless guy and his girlfriend ...

Yes it sounds silly, and it is silly, but it's also a lot of fun! The film does suffer from a slow opening that doesn't deliver anything new. Just a lot of running and "scary" sound effects. But, with the introduction of "the creep" the movie makes a u turn and heads for the gore section. And strangely enough, that's where it gets scary, and at moments extremely tense!

Now, of course there are genre rules that you'll find here as well. For instance: you've got your bad guy crippled on the floor with an open window to smash his brains in ... then why turn around screaming and run? But if you can make yourself believe in monsters and stupid scream queens again, this movie won't disappoint at all.

7/10

I'm Sure Its Original Title Was " Cliché " !

[Theo Robertson · 4/10 · 11 November 2007]

!!!!! OF COURSE THERE'S SPOILERS !!!!! I'm sure this project started off as a screen writing workshop on avoiding clichés in horror movies: Female protagonist - Check Bad things happen to drug takers - Check Heorine knocks out villain - Check Heroine doesn't notice villain recovering unconsciousness - Check Frame the sequence so we see recovered villain creep up behind heroine - Check Unfortunately it seems someone has sent this cliché list to a film studio instead of using it for class . Dear oh dear if only London transport was as regular as the clichés turning up here . In fact there's so many clichés and seen it all before moments that no one actually thought about going into detail as to what the eponymous creep is or how long he's been killing people on the underground . I'm led to believe it's the result of some human experiment and perhaps it's not until that night he decided to take his revenge out on humanity but all this is so vague as to be meaningless Not to be totally negative I doubt very much if the producers thought they'd be making a film that was going to sweep the Oscars that year and there's always a market for horror movies . Likewise I doubt if it cost too much produce and had one eye on the DVD market rather than cinema distribution and I will state that it's slightly better than 1972's DEATH LINE which also featured a murderous cannibal hiding in the London underground . it's just that when you think all the clichés have been used up in this film another cliché comes along to raise its ugly head

Stylish and slick Brit horror flick!

[The_Void · 7/10 · 24 July 2005]

This low budget British horror flick pretty much flew straight under the radar upon release towards the end of 2004, and while the film doesn't deserve the status of a classic, or even a modern genre classic; Creep still offers a good, horrific eighty minutes and fans of classically plotted horror thrillers will no doubt enjoy themselves. The film is very thin on plot, and works just from a premise - the premise being that Franke Potente has found herself trapped in the subway after hours. This wouldn't be so bad, but she's got a strange mutant on her tail that seems to delight in murdering everyone around her! While this plot doesn't really allow the audience to engage with it due to the fact that it is so shallow, director Christopher Smith keeps the film ticking over with an onslaught of suspense and tension brought about by the claustrophobic landscape of the tunnels underneath London and the fairly generous helping of disgusting gore effects, which are a nice addition to any horror movie if you ask me. If the film has any sort of commentary on the state of the management of London's subways, it's muddled at best…but it doesn't matter, as nobody sees this sort of thing for social comments anyway.

The effects of the 'creep' itself are actually quite good. The monster is mutated enough to be visibly inhuman, but it retains enough of it's human form to be recognisably humane in some way. The creature effects in this film seem to have been a big influence on fellow recent Brit horror 'The Descent', as the monsters in that film very much resembles the one in this. Franke Potente knows a lot about running since her big hit was the highly acclaimed German drama 'Run Lola Run', and she gets to stretch her legs in this film more than just a bit too. The frantic pace of the film really makes it what it is, and while there's nothing in this film that you haven't seen before; the movie takes it's borrowed elements and moulds them together into a slick horror cocktail. The fact that it's only on for eighty minutes will ensure that you wont get bored in spite of it's thin premise, and if a short running time isn't good enough for you; the gritty gore certainly will be, as this film features lots of grappling, stabbing, gutting and many other such things. It would seem that the director has an eye for visuals too, as he presents a few of them - the best being the bloodied hand reaching up from under a train!

Painfully predictable

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 17 January 2014]

I want to like CREEP; it's my kind of film. A, well, 'creepy' horror film set on and around the London Underground, with a pared-down story, sinister villain and a resourceful heroine fighting against the odds. And yet, by the end, it's turned out to be a disappointing experience, and the reason for that is that it's oh so painfully predictable.

Christopher Smith is definitely a better director than he is writer; case in point, I can't fault his direction, which is adequate by genre standards, but what I can fault is his staid waiting. After a mildly atmospheric set up, this turns into the usual dull cat-and-mouse game between heroine and killer, with extraneous characters being messily murdered (and worse) and even a bit of torture porn thrown in to sicken viewers. It's all very familiar and, unfortunately, not at all frightening.

It doesn't help that the bad guy is a bit lame, despite the sterling efforts of the ever-menacing Sean Harris. He looks exactly like Smeagol at the opening of THE LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING, part-way towards becoming Gollum when he was still played by Andy Serkis in extensive makeup. He's a bit of a weirdo, a tragic figure more than anything else. Franka Potente's tough heroine is better, but the supporting actors are wasted (particularly the excellent Ken Campbell, whose skills would have enlivened this greatly).

It's worth remembering that this was done before – and much better – in the superior 1970s Brit chiller DEATH LINE, starring Donald Pleasence. What an engaging, atmospheric and, yes, terrifying movie that was! Sadly, despite its interesting setting, Creep is lacklustre by comparison.

Good nerve ratcheting film

[denise-882-139023 · 10/10 · 29 October 2022]

Really enjoy this film, Why?

Sean Harris's creep is really creepy and is excellently played and frankly believable as, I am guessing, the result of a mad doctor's experimentation.

Franka Potente's Kate is, equally believable as the prey. Kate is a likeable / unlikable young woman; she can be downright mean but has goodness in her. Kate is mean to the homeless man but equally wants to save someone who has previously assaulted her.

The other characters are perfect too. Mostly flawed, hapless sorts, who bring in the elements of frustration and potential hope to the action. Vas Blackwood's reluctant, ex con, sewer worker brings elements of gallows humour too.

So, to the storyline: this is just a good old fashioned, survive the really nasty bad guy, movie. The tension mounts and the pace relentless. It is a great little thrill ride. Next time you are on a tube platform, do not look too closely into the maw of the tunnel.

Eerie atmosphere and sinister killer into London subway

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 13 April 2007]

Kate (Franka Potente) a young girl leaving his acquaintances during a night party goes to London underground . Kate takes a nap but she's slept and losing the last train . It's the beginning a terrifying night with incredible terror , claustrophobia and killing pursuit by a dangerous being . After a subway train passes Kate encounters his friend Guy (J. Sheffield) . Later on , she encounters drug addicts and a homeless couple . They are stalked and pursued by a horrible creature starving of blood and drags his victims away . She flees throughout the obscure tunnels and along with another young man (Blackwood) will battle the loony mysterious murderer with disfigured face .

The picture contains creepy scenes, eerie horror , scary mystery, suspense and lots of blood and gore , including : Throat slitting, stabbed in the crutch , slicing , tortures and impalement ,among others horrible images . From the beginning to the ending , terror , action and tension is unstopped . The film take parts from the classics ¨Texas chainsaw massacre¨, ¨The hills have eyes¨ and borrowing on recent pictures just like ¨Wrong turn¨ or ¨House of 1000 corpses¨. The movie gets a spooky atmosphere with adequate cinematography and eerie musical score by The Insects . The motion picture was well directed by Christopher Smith . The flick isn't apt for little boys neither squeamish . The story will appeal to horror movies fans.

Rush hour in the summer is far more horrific

[arahman · 1/10 · 4 July 2005]

Many commuters fear missing the final London underground tube after a Saturday night out. Many equally fear being attacked by one of the many weirdos that also choose to use the service. Creep is a budget horror movie that preys on these fears (although frequent delays and rush hour in the summer is a true life horror story never seems to be addressed). Kate (Franka Potente) falls asleep on the platform after drinking too much and wakes up to find that she has been locked up in Charing Cross Tube Station (one would expect that the underground staff would have woken her up although given how helpful they are when you attempt to renew a season ticket this would not be surprising). She manages to board a train but is attacked by a friend who is subsequently mutilated by an unseen assailant. The assailant then hunts Kate and some homeless residents of the underground station using a series of long forgotten underground tunnels. Little attempt is made to analyse the back story of the assailant, however this is of no consequence as the audience quickly loses interest in his motivation and hopes that the film will end soon. Average performances from the cast, a somewhat unrealistic series of events (the assailant could have been killed on multiple occasions but it is quite clear the director wishes to drag the film along) and no real plot combine to produce a below average horror flick. Thrills and fear are substituted for gore which without a psychological aspect just serves to be a little discomforting as opposed to thrilling. Those who enjoy the 'gore' aspect of the horror genre will also be disappointed as the gore factor still remains tame compared to the recent flicks such as the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake. Overall a highly unsatisfying movie that leaves you feeling that the whole experience was completely pointless. Whilst this is a short movie (85 minutes) it is too much time to waste of your life. Spend 85 minutes on any alternative past time, cutting your toe nails or watching a reality TV show will be more rewarding.