Episodes 1 and 2 of The Creep Tapes set a terrifying precedent of murderous mayhem at the hands of Josef (Mark Duplass). We may or may not have learned anything new regarding the canon or lore behind Josef, but we’ve gotten to watch him ‘play with his food’. I still believe that Episode 2, “Elliot,” is the slowest of the episodes thus far, but I’ve slightly come around to the idea of it. One of my best friends told me, “If that’s the worst episode, then we’re in for a treat.” And honestly, that’s the best way I could describe my thoughts on it.

Episode 3, “Jeremy”, takes us out of the wetlands and returns us to a claustrophobic mountain house. “Jeremy” follows our newest victim, Jeremy (Josh Fadem), a ‘gotcha’  internet personality whose whole personality surrounds exposing those he deems needing to be exposed. After his Big Pharma expose, Jeremy finds his sights on Father Tom Durkin (Mark Duplass). Jeremy meets with Father Durkin under the guise of an interview. Little do both of them know…neither is there for what the other thinks.

This episode will probably be a diving episode for fans. I’m personally a big fan of Josh Fadem. His quirky awkwardness is appealing to me. But there’s a chance his schtick will get old quickly for some viewers. The way Fadem and Duplass play off each other is fascinating to watch, and it creates a very compelling dynamic.

Duplass has always given 110% when playing Josef, but he amps it up tenfold in this episode. We get one of the funniest bits in Creep history when Josef/Father Tom Durkin *literally* exercises his demons out. Besides that exercise bit, Father Tom Durkin is one of Josef’s greatest personalities.

If you haven’t seen the episode, I’m about to mention something that is a spoiler, BUT it needs to be discussed. Toward the latter half of the episode, Josef shows Jeremy one of his tapes and uses this to ease Jeremy. The goal of showing him this tape is to give Jeremy his Gotcha moment. See, “Father Tom Durkin” was supposedly possessed and was being exorcised by Father Dom Gurkin. The video we see is of Josef, in his Peachfuzz mask and underwear, cowering in the corner of a small shack while Father Dom Gurkin tries to exorcize the demon from him.

From what we’ve seen so far, between the first two films and the first two episodes, this is the only evidence that Josef has shown something from his collection to one of his victims. Not only is this idea haunting from Jeremy’s perspective but as a viewer as well. Knowing what we know, this is beyond terrifying. I can only imagine what’s going through Josef’s head while Jeremy is watching this. Will we witness Josef showing other victims tapes at any point?

Episode 3 continues to strike fear into Creep fans and shows no signs of stopping. I still don’t enjoy the credits and think it ruins the immersion (this is a general complaint of opening credits in all found footage) but I’ve come to accept it at this point. I’m happy that Josh Fadem has a character that is canon in the Creep-iverse, and this episode does an excellent job of continuing the legend of Josef. My only real question is, in this age of cell phone pings, how hasn’t he been caught yet?! I’ll continue to suspend my disbelief on that front. With three episodes left in this season, what havoc will Josef wreak on the camera people of this town? Tune in next Friday to find out!

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!