Movies
Horror 101: Everything We Know About Peachfuzz and the Creep Tapes So Far
Now that the first season of The Creep Tapes is over, it is a great time to unpack what we think we know about this beast. I hope that by explaining the few things we have learned and making some educated guesses (or wild assumptions), I can help more people discover that they might have a little Peachfuzz inside them. Or, at the very least, encourage more of you to revisit one of my favorite found footage franchises.
Welcome back to Horror 101, a series of articles where we explain horror movie legends and their lore. For beginners, the confused, or just those who need a refresher, these articles are for you.
All six episodes of The Creep Tapes have come and gone. After the finale ended, I realized my holiday spirit had disappeared alongside Peachfuzz. I sat in my sadness for a bit, thinking of everything this murderous icon has taught me about obsession over the years. That is when I realized the best way to avoid falling into a show hole while waiting for Shudder to greenlight the show for a second season was to keep writing about it.
So, I donned my Peachfuzz apparel and asked for the keys to the Horror 101 column.
Now that the first season of The Creep Tapes is over, it is a great time to unpack what we think we know about this beast. I hope that by explaining the few things we have learned and making some educated guesses (or wild assumptions), I can help more people discover that they might have a little Peachfuzz inside them. Or, at the very least, encourage more of you to revisit one of my favorite found footage franchises.
All About Peachfuzz
Creep (2014) and Creep 2 (2017) made us believe Peachfuzz was a way for our protagonist to fuck with his future victims. The character (played by Mark Duplass) is known for tricking filmmakers into joining him in isolated areas with the promise of $1000. He immediately makes things weird as he tests their limits, almost daring them to run with each red flag he raises. So, when he slips the Peachfuzz mask on and goes nonverbal, many viewers figure this is more foreplay before he gets to the kill. Seeing as Josef (his alias in the first film) is attracted to the filmmakers he selects, so it scans. More importantly, what is a harmless kink in the grand scheme of things? While the fanbase loves the creepy little wolf, we had no way of knowing how important he would become to the franchise.
What Is the Origin of Peachfuzz?
One of the things that The Creep Tapes did was show us that Peachfuzz has been around way longer than we thought. In the season finale, “Mom (and Albert)”, we meet the woman who raised a stone-cold killer. We discover she calls him Wolfie and even introduces him to her new boyfriend that way. She also shares that when he was six years old, he woke up from a bad dream and bit the head off of his stuffed wolf. She partially repaired the toy, which is also named Wolfie, but left part of the neck open to remind him of what he did. We also discover that his memories of being breastfed are false. His mother tells him that she could not breastfeed because he was too aggressive. She claimed she couldn’t breastfeed because he kept biting and tugging, which made her bleed.
All of this information comes out in the weirdest conversations. However, it proves that Peachfuzz may have been inside of our favorite serial killer all along. We now know that this wolf business is not Maybelline, but he was born with it. At least if we believe his mother. Perhaps there is only one wolf inside of him, and everything else is the lie he tells himself at night. This is especially interesting because in the penultimate episode, “Brandt“, we watch him meltdown and talk to his alter ego.
We assumed we were watching him play with himself, but what if it’s not so simple? In the third episode, “Jeremy”, he shows the victim a tape of a priest trying to exorcise Peachfuzz. In light of what we learn from his mom, and the arguments he has with himself when he’s alone, that exorcism might be a lowkey real attempt to get the Fuzz out of him.
What Makes a Peachfuzz Tick?
Due to the previous films, I suspected Peachfuzz appeared when our protagonist was aroused. The character is clearly working through some stuff, and I am not here to judge. However, now that we have a season of The Creep Tapes under our belt, it feels more like Peachfuzz comes out in times of distress. This is very similar to the way most media portrays a split personality. Whenever our Josef/Wolfie/The Creep has too many feelings or if things are not going his way, then Peachfuzz is there.
When none of his weird behaviors run Aaron off in Creep, we meet Peachfuzz growling at a door and wiggling his hips. The Peachfuzz mask resurfaces as the Creep prepares to end Aaron on the bench. The gesture seemingly signifies that this is the end of this relationship. This is a breakup, and some part of him feels the weight of it, even if it is just another day in the murder business.
In Creep 2, Sara seems unphased by everything our creep (who now goes by Aaron) throws at her. So, he puts his wolf head on and takes her for a drive. When she does not answer his questions about the mask with ridicule or fear, this seems to cause him further confusion. It should also be noted that all of the Creep’s victims (that we have seen) have been men aside from Sara. So, it’s interesting that she gets to see the mask again when he gives her his trusted axe and tells her to behead him. We also see a picture of Peachfuzz in what we assume is Sara’s locket in The Creep Tapes episode “Brad“. This confirms what we already knew about her fate, but it also means he kept a trinket.
The Peachfuzz Mask Doesn’t Mean You’re Safe
Even when the Creep is not wearing his Peachfuzz mask, he finds a way to work his wolf obsession into the moment. When he kills a guy named Dave at the beginning of Creep 2, we find out a stuffed wolf was part of the bizarre care package he sent this victim. The Creep refers to it as Baby Peachfuzz. He also reveals a hidden camera inside the toy, making it his witness and accomplice.
Peachfuzz gets a lot of screen time in The Creep Tapes. However, it’s the Brandt episode where the Creep argues with Peachfuzz (after presumably being stood up) that stands out. Again, this wolf comes out during moments of heightened emotions. When he believes Brandt has stood him up, Peachfuzz is there to argue, play, and remind him that he is not alone. The Creep shares that this murder was supposed to be his first solo project, which makes it seem like Peachfuzz has been part of him all along. The two reconcile and kill the very late Brandt with their trusted axe. However, many things come up during this (manic) episode, which might explain why he’s heading to his mom’s house in the finale the next time we see him.
In “Mom (and Albert)”, the Creep seems fine to go by wolfie in his mother’s home. He also shows a very possessive streak when it comes to his mother. So, because I have been tracking the mood swings and the Peachfuzz appearances, I knew it was coming. The Creep/Wolfie told Albert he would let him live. However, he also prepared the wolf mask and his trusted axe. We all knew when Peachfuzz danced up behind Albert, this meant death was imminent. After all, the unfiltered rage of his mom having a man in the home interrupting his idyllic Forrest Gump recreation with his mother was too much. These were too many emotions for one awkward serial killer, and it became a job for the Fuzz.
What Is With Peachfuzz and Full Frontal Nudity?
We’re not sure, but we’re also not complaining.
Where Is Peachfuzz Now?
The short answer is Peachfuzz is probably stashed away in a bag somewhere. At least physically. However, emotionally…he’s probably waiting for the Creep to snap and call on him to do what he does best. Like most people on the internet, I got my imaginary psych degree from film and television. So, I am no expert, but I know that the Creep and his alter ego are not yet integrated. This might also explain why he mistakenly thought parts of Forrest Gump were childhood memories and that he breastfed until kindergarten.
If Peachfuzz is a different personality, there would be some gaps in time. While I always assumed this persona was his way of pretending he’s not a stone-cold killer, I am not so sure anymore. Honestly, he could just be doing a very long version of The Three Faces of Eve (1957) or some other movie about Dissociative Identity Disorder. Or, more likely, Creep creators Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass are screwing with us for their own entertainment. Netflix has raised their prices again, so we all have to find fun where we can now.
What Should You Watch Now That The Creep Tapes Is Over?
Nothing can ever truly scratch the itch left in the wake of The Creep Tapes. However, while we wait for news of a second season (or third movie), I think these titles might ease the Peachfuzz-shaped hole we all have.
My Dinner with Andre (dir. Louis Malle)
Where You Can Watch: Max
I did not mistakenly list this comedic drama starring André Gregory and Wallace Shawn. I think it’s in the DNA of this franchise, and shares many themes with the Creep Universe. Plus, it is referenced in the “Jeremy” episode. So, I think I nailed it with this recommendation.
Misery (dir. Rob Reiner)
Where You Can Watch: VOD
I think of Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) every time the Creep lures a filmmaker out to the middle of nowhere. His obsession with his victims also gives big “I’m your number one fan” energy. So, I cackled when the Creep made a filmmaker reenact a scene in the pilot episode “Mike”.
Fatal Attraction (dir. Adrian Lyne)
Where You Can Watch: MGM+ and Prime Video
It’s no secret that the Creep is attracted to his victims. It is also clear by now that these dates are ending in death. We also know that our serial killer seems proud of his obsessions. I would not be surprised if this was another movie he watched with his mom.
Community
Where You Can Watch: Peacock
Yes, I am also recommending one of the last great NBC sitcoms. Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi) and the Creep’s shared obsession with film, and ability to create entire scenarios based on movies would make them friends. At least until Peachfuzz came out to play.
We are finally in the midst of Shudder’s 61 days of Halloween! There are so many horror movies to consume and 31 days simply isn’t enough. Use the long Labor Day weekend to kick off your horror movie countdown and add these movies to your Shudder queue. Here is a list of what I would recommend checking out to ease into the Halloween spirit right before going into full blown premature trick-or-treating mode.
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
The Yeti (2026)
A large creature has captured people in a remote Alaskan town in the 1940s. The sheriff has put together a search-and-rescue monster hunting party to bring back the captives. It sounds like the premise of a Cold Iron Studios co-op video game in the same vein as Aliens: Fireteam Elite. The stylization from co-directors Gene Gallerano & William Pisciotta in the trailer makes me think they have cooked up a story that blends action, horror, and wilderness survival. Sign me up, sheriff!
Leave (2022)
Hunter was found as a baby abandoned in a cemetery wrapped in a cloth covered with satanic symbols. She has been searching for answers her whole life about where she came from. Her journey to find her parents takes her down a mysterious path, and she is being warned by something from the beyond to leave this mystery alone. Can she trust who this investigation is leading her towards? It’s a mysterious, supernatural, culty film that will give you chills.
Penny Lane is Dead (2026)
One crazy night in Australia with perhaps a dash of revenge. Shudder’s latest original looks to be packed with blood and violence in this story of girls just trying to have fun until the crazy cousin drugs the party and invites dangerous people to play. The trailer promises lots of body horror (trigger warning, there may be SA or threat of it). I’m not saying it will be Evil Dead level, but there’s definitely something in the Aussie water with Lee Cronin pumping out his gory deadites and mummy films, and now Mia Kate Russel with this one.
The Others (2001)
This is a PSA to the younger readers of Horror Press; stop what you’re doing and watch Nicole Kidman go 100 miles per hour in this classic ghost story with a twist. Dreary weather, massive estate, confusing corridors, creepy house servants you don’t know if you can trust, and sad British kids. The ending is an all-timer and spoilers should be avoided at all costs. It has exactly what you need to get right into the cozy, spooky mood for 61-days of Halloween.
Dark Harvest (2023)
If The Hunger Games and The Purge had a baby and raised it during Oktoberfest. Teenage boys are tasked with hunting and killing the entity known as Sawtooth Jack on Halloween night, or it could mean certain peril for their town. Of the movies I have listed here that I have not seen, this is going to be at the top of my watchlist. Teens fighting for survival on Halloween night and the battle setting is in a cornfield?! Say less. I am there with my Sam Adams seasonal in hand. Another perfect movie to cannonball me right into the Halloween spirit.
This list has been carefully curated to watch in a specific order to gear up for a Halloween marathon. Start with the wintry monster movie, move on to a macabre supernatural thriller, followed by a ramp-up in blood and gore, to then be lulled into a spooky, bump-in-the-night classic, all to end on a ritualistic hunt taking place on Halloween night. This is just getting things started for the first 30-days. Looking forward to sharing the next list to get you through October.
Anyone who follows legendary horror author Stephen King on social media or reads the back of books knows one thing. It’s harder to find something that King hasn’t blurbed than something that he has. The dude is a voracious consumer of genre media, and he finds a lot to love. It’s an admirable quality. But, speaking as someone who saw American Ultra after he praised it, you can’t always trust his recommendations. Today, I’ll cut some of the wheat from the chaff and break down the best modern horror movies he’s recommended.
Three notes: First, I have decided to define “modern” as “2001 or later.” Second, King practices good social media hygiene and has deleted many of his old posts. A lot of them are archived elsewhere. However, it’s more or less impossible to make a truly comprehensive list of his recommendations. I’ve synthesized multiple different sources and done my best to truly encapsulate the breadth of his recommendations. Third, I have not included any adaptations of his own work. He may be outspoken about the ones he doesn’t like, but he’s still obviously biased in that department.
#10 Snakes on a Plane (2006)
To quote King himself (defending putting 2012 among his top 2009 movies), “no filmgoing diet is complete without some cheese.” Snakes on a Plane is a does-what-it-says-on-the-tin movie, delivering high-flying serpentine thrills. However, it’s also a remarkably faithful resurrection of the atmosphere of old 1970s airplane thrillers.
#9 Final Destination 5 (2011)
In his Best of 2011 entry on Final Destination 5, King called it “the best since the first,” and he’s absolutely right. While the sequels probably peaked with the highway prologue in Final Destination 2, the fifth installment is pound-for-pound the most thrilling entry. Between the bridge collapse, the laser eye surgery, and the nail-biting sequence where a screw falls pointy-side-up on a balance beam, there’s no denying there’s real power here. And that’s not even mentioning the fun final twist!
#8 A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
In a since-deleted Tweet, King called Day One “the rare ‘big Hollywood film’ that is both intimate and textured.” It’s true. A Quiet Place: Day One is a mini miracle of horror filmmaking. An IP-drenched prequel to a duology of good-not-great post-apocalyptic popcorn blockbusters shouldn’t be this genuinely stirring. Plus, relative newcomer Joseph Quinn holds his own against the awe-inspiring Lupita Nyong’o, resulting in an all-timer two-hander.
#7 The Strangers (2008)
After watching The Strangers, King took to Entertainment Weekly to pontificate about what makes good horror. If you inspire someone who literally wrote the book on horror to think about it more, you’ve done something right. Bryan Bertino’s home invasion movie is one of the grimmest movies of the 2000s, but its desperate existential dread is terrifying and perfectly in line with King’s best works.
#6 Splice (2009)
King included Splice on his Top 10 list for 2010, particularly praising the “talented actors… who take the material seriously.” How did this grotesque genetic-experimentation horror movie directed by the guy who made Cube land Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley? Who knows. But they breathe life into some already super solid material. What Brody in particular gets up to feels even more twisted because it’s the guy from The Pianist doing it.
#5 Smile (2022)
In a since-deleted Tweet, King called Smile a “good, scary horror film.” He added that “the real surprise is Sosie Bacon as Rose. What a hell of a performance.” Bacon really was a revelation, but so was debut director Parker Finn. His control over tone and pacing leads to some of the best scare sequences of the 2020s.
#4 The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024)
King’s not fucking around about the New Zealand horror film The Rule of Jenny Pen. It’s one of just two horror movies on his New York Times ballot for the best of the 21st century. The underseen movie is a real corker, too. It follows a judge (Geoffrey Rush) recovering in a care home after a stroke. However, his relaxation is ruined by a sadistic retiree (John Lithgow) who is obsessed with his baby doll puppet. Lithgow’s performance is stunning, and his thrillingly dark energy commands the screen every second he’s in front of the camera.
#3 Barbarian (2022)
In a since-deleted reply to a fan’s Tweet about Barbarian, King said “Yeah, that movie blew me away. It was crazy! Crazy GOOD!” This movie contributed what is perhaps the definitive scary basement in horror, which is no small feat. That’s all thanks to director Zach Cregger’s control over onscreen darkness (one of his many skills). The man must be a shadowmancer of some kind.
#2 Train to Busan (2016)
Train to Busan is the only other horror movie on King’s NYT ballot. It has received a lot of international recognition over the years. Perhaps more than any other non-Parasite movie from South Korea. That’s because it’s flipping amazing. Its crackling energy makes it one of the scariest fast-zombie movies in history. But it also marries that with a compelling father-daughter story. There’s really nothing Train to Busan can’t do.
#1 The Descent (2005)
King put The Descent on his 2006 best-of list, calling it “the best horror movie of the year.” Forget that. It’s one of the top horror movies of the century so far. It’s a bloody good monster movie nestled into a skin-crawlingly claustrophobic spelunking movie.
Honorable Mentions:
The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) – I’ve never seen it, so I can’t in good faith recommend it
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) – A masterpiece, but it’s not really “horror”
Obsession (2026) – We gotta let this one sit, in order to avoid recency bias
