CREEPY (2016)

Directed By: Kiyoshi Kurosawa 
Written By: Kiyoshi Kurosawa & Chihiro Ikeda 
Based on the Novel By: Yutaka Maekawa 
Cinematography: Akikio Ashizawa 
Editor: Koichi Takahashi 


Cast: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Yuko Takeuchi, Ryoko Fujino, Masahiro Higashide, Teruyuki Kagawa 

Takakura is a former detective. He receives a request from his ex-colleague, Nogami, to examine a missing family case that occurred 6 years earlier. Takakura follows Saki's memory. She is the only surviving family member from the case. Meanwhile, Takakura and his wife Yasuko recently moved into a new home. Their neighbor, Nishino, has a sick wife and a young teen daughter. One day, the daughter, Mio, tells him that the man is not her father and she doesn't know him at all.

This is a hard film to explain or totally approach and get your head around. It takes it’s time telling a story and asks you to take a leap of faith when it comes to the fine details. That not all audience members will accept. If you do you will have a unique time with this movie. As this is a film to go best into blind. As this is a film that slowly begins to haunt you. It casts a big bet yet is intricate.

The film is multilayered and hard to describe without spoiling it.

This is not so much a horror film. You could call it a thriller that gets more disturbing as it goes along. But it feels like a structured nightmare that no one can really control nor explain in a logical or coherent way even though Shown In that manner.

Unassuming then once it slowly reveals it’s hand. It still feels like it’s playing a trick on you.

Half the time you will wonder exactly what is going on. As the films plays as a mystery they that is in plain sight. The. It grows more momentous and mysterious.

The third act finally gives more insight, revelations and another point of view but the tensions that have already been raised become even tighter and more focused. That keeps the audience on edge. As the characters go off of the edge.

The film stays very crisp and best throughout. It is also perfectly titled as that is the tone it gives off throughout.

The film seems to be about free will versus addiction and the Power of motivation.

The film certainly takes it’s time to get to some of the answers but we the audience need all that background to put those pieces of the puzzle together. As the film Is more into the fascination of construction and revelation is where the power and beauty of the film is found.

Even more scary than the villain is the little girl who goes along with it all and shows no judgement or remorse either way, yet tips off both sides.

By the end we are left with a kind of boogeyman who uses the power of suggestion as well as addiction to be In Control. Though we are given none of his motivations or even explanations for why he is doings this.

Grade: B