Get ya peepers on this
The Creeper returns in Jeepers Creepers:Reborn, the new film from Iron Sky director Timo Vuorensola
This horror reboot will introduce the Creeper to a whole new generation when it gets its UK Premiere on 23 September 2022 with a theatrical release on 24 September from 101 Films.
The film also gets a digital, Blu-ray and DVD release in October.
Jeepers Creepers first hit our screens back in 2001 when Justin Long and Gina Philips had a bit of trouble while driving home for Spring break. This film was a bit of a sleeper hit and made over $59 million at the time of release.
The brother and sister duo witness a duster jacket wearing roadhog dump something down a pipe and then find out it’s the Creeper, a being who comes along every 23 years to feast and refresh by eating the parts he needs. Cut his arm off, he’ll just eat yours and grow it back. He was a great horror creation at the time and the movie was really fun (and still is, you can watch it on Amazon Prime Video right now).
It is thought that the creeper was loosely based on a real murderer as seen on Unsolved Mysteries who was seen dumping a body by a couple so he chased them down in his van, he wasn’t a centuries old demon of course and the film is more like an early noughties DUEL. This was followed with a sequel in 2003 and then in 2017 came a sequel prequel in the shape of, you guessed it, Jeepers Creepers 3.
So now we have Jeepers Creepers:Reborn a new director, a new Creeper and a new start.
So, first to the premise.
The Horror Hound festival is a big deal, and now, it’s coming to Louisiana for the very first time – the excitement is immense. The geeks, freaks and die-hard horror fans are coming from far and wide to experience the fear and the fun.
Chase (Imran Adams – Hollyoaks, Ghosts), a lovable geek, is one such fan. He can’t wait to go and has bagged tickets for him and his devoted girlfriend Laine (Sydney Craven – EastEnders, A Christmas Carol), who has even more exciting news she’s waiting to share…
But as the festival approaches, Laine experiences disturbing premonitions involving the town’s terrifying past … and can’t shake the feeling that something evil is coming.
As the festival kicks off and blood-soaked entertainment builds to a frenzy, are Laine and Chase ready to face the legend of the Creeper, in a brand-new horror attraction? Or could Laine’s fears be about to come true – is one of the most wicked demons ever set to wreak havoc, death and devastation on the unsuspecting crowds?
The pair must prepare to fight for their lives as they realise their worst nightmare has come true as Jeepers Creepers is Reborn.
So, the film starts with a nod to the original, and the Unsolved Mysteries episode as a couple drive along a deserted road and see someone dumping a body. They are even playing a similar game to that of the brother and sister in the orignal where they score points for coming up with a meaning for number plates, in this case “BEATINGU” we then meet Chase and Laine, who are travelling on a similar road they go to a Voodoo shop because of course, and we get a glimpse that Laine’s news might be just what the shadowy cult in the area are waiting for.
Later they go to the festival and then end up at the mercy of The Creeper.
It’s hard to talk about the film without spoiling it really, so I’ll just give my opinion on parts of it
The driving at the beginning gives us an insight into the two main characters, but did I really care? Not much. The voodoo shop section was so contrived it was ridiculous, but weirdly was exactly what you want in a monster movie. The acting throughout is hit and miss and the whole film seems very “Shot during Covid”.
Having the main theme be that they are going to the biggest horror festival around, then having about 3 stalls there, a tent, and about half a dozen supporting artists to make a crowd doesn’t exactly make it feel like a giant festival. This part of the film really fell flat, we’re hearing about the Creeper here, but there’s no menace or fear in anyone. The guy on the stall is creepier than the Creeper.
The Creeper himself isn’t great. The actor’s good, and an imposing figure and when he first emerges from his den he looks great, covered in years of crust ready to fill his boots eating his way through town but then the make up (especially the teeth) just let it down. There’s a bit where he wipes his mouth and his tusk like chin bits wobble. They probably could have gone with a less is more approach here, like Jaws.
The whole cult aspect doesn’t feel right to me, it’s like Rosemary’s Baby but not enough is made of it and the Creeper doesn’t really have any menace to him or seem particularly focused on anything either.
Dont’ get me started on the birds. I thought Moira Rose was going to be coming for the bebe!
The song, Hungry Eyes. I almost feel like the Creeper was more interested in being a DJ on that than anything else in the film. While a nice nod back to “Jeepers Creepers” done in the style of Henry Hall and his orchestra (who’s Hush, Hush, Hush Here Comes the Bogeyman was used at the end of the original in 2001) it just felt forced and the lyrics pointed towards the baby in a very obvious way.
Overall, the film’s a half decent horror that’s just lacking the surprises that made the original so popular, it feels very Digital and some of the special effects are “budget”, but the practical effects are overall good. There’s some great moments, and you are always waiting and hoping for it to blow you away, but it falls just short each time.
Will this reinvigorate the Jeepers Creepers franchise and create the buzz that surrounded the original? Time will tell, but I think maybe they should have waited a little longer to make this film, in fact if they’d waited till 2024 they could have played on the 23 years thing a lot more.
I’d score it 6 Jeepers out of 10 Creepers
