Blu-ray Review: The Creep Tapes Season One – “Can you just be a murderer? It’s not that hard.”

Available now on Blu-ray, DVD and digital, The Creep Tapes Season One is a spin-off series based on the found-footage smash hits Creep and Creep 2. Co-creators Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass return, with Brice writing and directing every episode, and Duplass starring with real relish.

Originally an exclusive on the best horror streaming service around, Shudder, The Creep Tapes is now available for non-subscribers with a… couple of extras.

The concept of the Creep films is a charming psychopath (aren’t they all?), Jeff, luring unsuspecting people into making a film with him and, as the shooting progresses, Jeff becomes more unhinged before murdering them. Comprised of six episodes, I was a bit concerned that the show would feel repetitive after one or two episodes, but this is not the case.

Episodes are less than thirty minutes each, so more like well-made extended shorts. There is some connective tissue and an overarching story, but each plays well alone too. Brice and Duplass go to smart lengths to keep changing things up to keep the concept fresh too.

The first episode feels very akin to the movies, with Jeff tricking a filmmaker into helping him make an acting showreel with him, but that too jumps the tracks. Jeff sets up an elaborate trap outside to catch a fake birdspotter (it’ll make sense when you see) and dons the first of many disguises.

Then, just as that starts to feel like it might become formulaic, Brice and Dulass change gears again, delivering an episode that feels like a spin on Man Bites Dog that then makes the innocent filmmaker become an accomplice. The penultimate episode feels a little smug and self-indulgent, but does end with a killer finale, while the last ep is perhaps the best. Delivering character development, backstory, twists, transgression and a taboo denouement.

Duplass is excellent, and his Jeff slash Peachfuzz character is quickly becoming a horror icon. The joy Duplass seems to be taking in seeking his teeth further into the character before is evident and he makes for such a likeable villain that it becomes hard not to take joy in watching him fuck with his victims’ heads and deliver plenty of suspense and jumps scares.

The disc
AV quality is excellent throughout, with the Blu-ray more than capable of handling the handheld, POV camerawork.

The extras
Not amazing. There is a Q and A which we were looking forward to after, but it is literally a one-minute TikTok video, which is really disappointing. There are full-length commentaries on every episode from Brice and Duplass though.

Further watching
New to found-footage? The daddy is Blair Witch, but Lake Mungo, REC, Host and the V/H/S series will start you off right too. Else, make sure you haven’t missed Dashcam, Spree or Frogman.

Pairs well with
Creep 1 and 2, obviously. But, if you’ve seen both, check out Stéphane for a freaky French spin on the situation.

The Creep Tapes Season One is available now on Blu-ray, DVD and digital.