By Ben Bussey
Just when you thought ‘Sinister’ was the most generic horror title you’d ever heard… but, much as was the case with Scott Derrickson’s 2012 film, this may belie a film which sports more surprises than you might initially expect. That’s pretty much where the similarities with Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s latest film end, however; in fact, Creepy is one of those “is-it-or-isn’t it horror?” films which in many respects harks back to the police procedural psychological thrillers of the 1990s. At slightly over two hours in length, it’s a bit of a slow-burner, which makes it a bold inclusion in a horror festival (given these events are quite the movie marathon, the films tend to be around the more bottom/bladder-friendly 90 minute mark). However, it’s well worth sticking out, for as the running time advances, the film (an adaptation of Yutaka Maekawa’s novel Kurīpī) very much earns its moniker.
Like the film that screened immediately before it at Celluloid Screams, The Devil’s Candy (read Keri’s review here), Creepy plays on one of those classic chiller set-ups: the ostensibly happy couple moving into a new house, where strange goings-on test not only their relationship but their sanity. Koichi Takakura (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is a retired police detective, having left the force after an altercation with a psychotic felon resulted in a hostage being murdered, and Takakura sustaining a near-fatal injury (don’t worry, this ain’t The Sixth Sense all over again). Taking up a new position as a teacher of criminal psychology at the local university, Takakura and his demure wife Yasuko (Yuko Takeuchi) relocate to a new home. However, the life of a university lecturer quickly proves tedious for Takakura’s inquisitive mind, and he soon gets caught up in investigating a cold case from several years ago involving the disappearance of a local family. Yasuko, meanwhile, is similarly unfulfilled by her lonely housewife existence, and makes efforts to befriend her neighbours. This proves difficult, as one neighbour shows no interest in being friendly whatsoever – whilst the other, Mr Nishino (Teruyuki Kagawa), demonstrates increasingly strange behaviour, leaving Yasuko and Takakura unsure as to whether he’s just a socially awkward kook, or if he might be hiding some dark secrets behind closed doors. For one thing, his daughter seems terrified of him; and for another, his wife, though oft-mentioned, is nowhere to be seen…
It’d be giving too much away to reveal more of the plot, but I can honestly say Creepy progresses in a way I hadn’t anticipated based on the opening act. It all starts out like a pretty pedestrian detective story not unlike those that dominate the main TV channels at prime time; it’s shot in that same clean, tasteful manner, with understated performances from a handsome cast, working with roles which are at first largely two-dimensional. I did find myself getting a little impatient at times, as the two seperate plot threads – Takura’s investigation, and Yasuko’s growing suspicion of Nishino – seem entirely unrelated at first. Of course, the two threads do gradually come together, and in the process a sense of unease slowly builds, leading to a final act that proves surprisingly intense. In some ways I’m reminded of Takashi Miike’s Audition and Sion Sono’s Cold Fish, but Creepy doesn’t go to quite such extremes as either of those; rather than slapping an unsuspecting audience hard in the face as the action proceeds, Kurosawa prefers to keep the tension at a simmering heat, with only occasional flashes of harsh violence and shock.
As this is primarily a character-driven movie, credit is very much due to the performances. Hidetoshi Nishijima and Yuko Takeuchi do fine work as a couple who go from seeming distant yet relatively content, to having a far more troubled relationship than perhaps either of them realised. However, the film is pretty much stolen by Teruyuki Kagawa as Mr. Nishino. His performance alone earns the film its title, as Nishino proves to be an antagonist for the ages, demonstrating once more that there’s nothing quite so intimidating as the stranger next door, leaving the viewer crossing their fingers that their own neighbours don’t have quite so many skeletons in their closets… figure of speech? See Creepy for yourself and find out.
Creepy has more UK festival screenings (including Dead of Night: Hull Horror Film Festival and Abertoir) in the month ahead, plus a limited theatrical release, via Eureka Entertainment – more details here. Eureka will then release Creepy as part of their Masters of Cinema Series in a Dual Format Blu-ray & DVD on 23rd January 2017.
Caution: trailer below contains mild spoilers.