"Tubby Time"
✯✯ 1/2
Right. So this is the "found footage" (or not so much "found" as it is "planted") film that everyone has been talking about. I noticed that it was labeled as a horror-comedy film, and was immediately intrigued by the found footage aspect, despite being completely disappointed in The Gallows.
Creep actually starts off really well, and goes along with the subject character's persona, but while the plot itself is good enough, there really isn't anything new or interesting that is brought by the film. Yes, the director put a comedic spin on it with the strange mannerisms of the subject character, but he isn't really well-developed. In fact, his back story that is revealed throughout the film ends up more confusing than anything else by the time the credits roll.
Director Patrick Brice tries his best to explore the inner workings of a fractured psyche. A man who wants attention more than anything else. A friend. But the way he expresses his affection for others is socially unconventional, especially for someone who just met him for the first time. I can actually relate to Josef (the subject character), although not quite to the extreme he goes. I'm a more affectionate person, I've been known to hug friends. And yes, people have told me it's weird. But it's who I am. Josef has no friends. He doesn't know how to make them, just like this film didn't really seem to figure out how to develop a well-rounded story. I can understand there's only so much you can do with two people, but this was just plain uninteresting, only saved through its mercifully short length.
Creep clearly tries to be a new type of "found footage" film, but in the end, there really isn't anything new about it. It follows the same motif as many other shaky cam films do, and somehow turns out far more bland than those other efforts are. It not a horrible film like, say, The Gallows, but overall it's a fairly forgettable experience. A few funny moments and a merciful runtime save it from being a total disaster, and I can at least say it was a commendable effort on the director's part. But in the end, it's nothing remarkable and it's certainly not a breakthrough. If the scariest thing about your film is the poster, what does that tell you? I think you all know the answer.