On June 3rd, 2024, Mark Duplass cryptically tweeted he had big news coming our way. Many of us, myself included, wrongfully guessed that meant Creep 3 would be in the works. Learning we were not getting Creep 3 was sad news, but what we learned was even more intriguing. Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice were bringing Josef (Mark Duplass) back in a way no one could have expected…a television show! The Creep Tapes offers six heart-pounding episodes with the intent of delving into the myriad tapes Josef has collected and created over his years of playing with his victims.
One of the most interesting aspects of Josef is his lore. His psychopathic behavior and pathological lying have made it hard to narrow down what’s real and what’s part of his act. The Creep Tapes do a fascinating job of blurring the line between lies and reality. Let’s dive into Josef’s deceitful horror in the first two episodes of The Creep Tapes.
The Creep Tapes Episode 1 “Mike”
Each episode is named after the cameraperson thrust into Josef’s maniacal sights. We start the series off with Mike (Mike Luciano). Mike arrives at a cabin, thinking he is helping “Jeff Daniels” make an audition tape for a 9-month acting intensive. Once the snow blankets the ground, Mike realizes he’s in way over his head.
Let’s get the main issue with this series out of the way. Each episode has opening credits at roughly three to five minutes into its runtime. If you’re looking for a completely immersive experience, these credits might take you out of it slightly. This wasn’t a dealbreaker for me, but I can understand if it is for others. That’s really the only issue I have with this series.
At its core, The Creep Tapes feels like a bunch of friends got together and just spitballed ideas and improved with each other. Duplass’s complete embodiment of Josef feels more haunting in a 25-minute-long episodic format than in the two feature films. Rather than slow ramp-ups to a bloody conclusion, we get to exist in this chaotic 25 minutes with no room for fluff.
“Mike” is one of the most straightforward episodes in the series and doesn’t do much to further the lore of Josef. Setting the series to start with “Mike” was a brilliant idea by the showrunners. It gives the audience time to settle back into Josef and remind us who we’re dealing with. If you’re a fan of the down-and-dirty side of Josef, then Episode 1 will quickly get you right back in the Creep spirit.
In case you were wondering, this episode has no dong shots.
The Creep Tapes Episode 2 “Elliot”
Do you ever try and bait your birds? Elliot (David Nordstrom) is an experienced bird watcher who treks out to a wetland area to try and capture images of a rare and elusive bird. After noticing a parachute and a boot on one of the dunes, Elliot is met with Josef. “Parachuting gone wrong,” alleges Josef. That’s when Josef asks Elliot if he can help him film a testimonial to use against the parachute company in court. And, well, you know the direction this show goes.
“Elliot” isn’t as strong an episode as “Mike” was. It feels slower-paced and highly unbelievable. The cute meeting between Elliot and Josef feels incredibly forced. A grown adult, like Elliot, should have seen every red flag waved before his face. However, there’s something very interesting about “Elliot” that makes this whole scenario more ominous than most others.
Nearly every time a victim is introduced to Josef, it’s in a house (or closed-off location). The claustrophobia of two strangers meeting in a house lends a level of terror that you just can’t get in an expansive outdoor location. But there’s something about Brice and Duplass setting this episode in the outdoors. You’d think that Josef would want to do everything he can to eliminate any chance of bystanders witnessing anything. Something about Elliot and Josef meeting in this open-air wetlands location, which is right off a road, is just plain scary.
Even if “Elliot” is slower-paced than “Mike” you can’t help but ogle at the audacity of Josef for this location. The setup of Josef’s character is a bit flat, but Duplass brings his usual Josef energy and delivers a truly terrifying performance.
Another very interesting aspect of The Creep Tapes is Josef’s hair continuity. We’re, presumably, being shown these tapes in a random order. This means Josef has different facial and head hair throughout the series. It’s a minor thing to notice, but it makes sense. Josef is obviously going to go through various styles of hair throughout the years, so why not show it? We can mark this as just another detail showing how much care went into this series.
What are your thoughts on The Creep Tapes? Will we get any background on the origins of Peachfuzz? The Creep Tapespremieres on Shudder on November 15th, 2024, and will have weekly releases through December 13th!