Creep is among the most notable horror movies of the last decade. The film is appropriately creepy, featuring the premise of a serial killer who fools his victim into recording his activities. While Mark Duplass’ performance is a stand-out, the movie itself has many other alternatives that fans can watch.
The general outline of the films is of either one or multiple villains who develop unhealthy obsessions. They also tend to have creative ways of luring and hunting their victims, which is what connects them to Creep. Viewers who love to get freaked out by unempathetic villains with deadly motives need to check these out. With that in mind, here are the top 10 best movies like Creep.
Ma (2019)
Ma is about a lonely woman, Sue Ann, who was bullied during her school days. As a result, she’s become emotionally scarred and befriends a group of high schoolers despite being middle-aged. Sue Ann starts off as a cool, older woman to the kids before she starts to terrorize them by controlling their actions.
Like Creep, Ma banks on making the characters extremely uneasy around the antagonist, who spirals out of control. Just like the villain in Creep, Sue Ann also has a dark sense of humor that she shows by “pranking” her victims. Even though she gets around to terrible things, there’s also some sympathy that viewers will feel for Sue Ann due to her sad backstory.
Hush (2016)
Before Mike Flanagan was known for creating popular Netflix shows like The Midnight Club, he directed another horror story in Hush. The film is about a deaf and mute woman who is stalked by a killer at her home. The bad guy has no motive apart from finding amusement at the prospect of taking the life of someone who can’t hear where he is or call for help.
Hush takes a page from Creep’s book in the way the killer has a demented sense of humor. The antagonist similarly has many chances of claiming his victim but prolongs it purely out of the thrill of the chase. What’s unique about Hush is that viewers are shown how the protagonist perceives her surroundings and get to witness her take the baddie down.
The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)
The Poughkeepsie Tapes is about the discovery of murder tapes by a serial killer. The police investigate them to learn his identity, which is filled with disturbing footage of how the killer terrorizes his victims before ending their lives. It’s a haunting film that isn’t for the faint of heart.
Fans of Creep will get a hardcore version of the movie, as The Poughkeepsie Tapes has a whole lot of disturbing kills. But it also contains the slow-moving atmosphere that makes Creep so chilling. The film is shot as a found-footage feature, meaning all the events look eerily realistic, to the point where viewers will question if it’s a true horror story.
The Visit (2015)
M. Night Shyamalan has continued his horror movie streak with films like Knock at the Cabin, but The Visit is credited as his comeback movie. After a run of flops, Shyamalan directed this creepy horror thriller. The film is about two teenage siblings who visit their grandparents for the first time, realizing there is something seriously messed up about them.
They record their grandparents for evidence of their strange behavior, only to learn that the people they’re staying with are deranged killers. Prior to the big reveal, the movie has several nasty moments that allude to their true identities. It’s similar to how Creep builds up to the villain’s damaged psyche, as The Visit’s grandparents also freak the kids out to no end.
Deadstream (2022)
Deadstream is a found footage horror movie about a YouTuber who spends a night in a haunted building. He persists with his ill-fated venture in order to restore his tarnished reputation. But the main character soon regrets this move when the ghost in the building decides to make his night a hellish one to survive.
Deadstream is pretty much the supernatural version of Creep, with the evil entity stalking the protagonist throughout the film. In fact, the ghost even poses as an overzealous and weird fan with mannerisms along the lines of the villain in Creep. On the flip side, the movie is a lot more comedic, with several instances where bizarre occurrences happen that dark comedy enthusiasts will be amused by.
Orphan (2009)
Orphan begins with the adoption of a girl by a family that has lost their newborn daughter. Rather than filling the emptiness they feel, the girl turns out to be a terrible presence in the household. Not only does she antagonize the other children, but she has dangerous intentions with her adoptive parents as well.
Orphan has a big twist in the end that’s similar to the one in Creep. The titular antagonist ruins the family’s lives slowly and methodically, portraying sadistic traits that leave no double of her evil nature. It doesn’t have the grim realism that Creep has in its climax, but Orphan features a whole lot of frightening scenes beforehand.
When A Stranger Calls (2006)
When a Stranger Calls is about a teenager who babysits the children of a rich couple. After the parents leave, she starts receiving calls from a mysterious person whose threats become increasingly dangerous. The girl’s attempts to prevent him from catching her and to escape make up the film’s events.
Similar to Creep, When a Stranger Calls becomes progressively scarier when the villain moves toward the killing aspect of things. The movie contains a scary atmosphere since the bad guy is barely seen – he’s made out to be something of a phantom. His creative techniques for antagonizing the protagonist keeps things tight, along with holding the audience’s interest.
Mockingbird (2014)
Mockingbird doesn’t spend much time explaining its premise and jumps straight to the main event. Three groups of people receive video cameras and are made to believe they’re part of a contest to win a prize. However, things take a dark turn when they’re told that anyone who stops recording and following the instructions will be killed.
Mockingbird’s similarities with Creep extend to the uncertain motives of the villains. Viewers are kept in the dark about what is going to happen before a surprising finale. The found footage format sells the environment, as the main characters act as audience surrogates to convey the creepy nature of things.
Spree (2020)
Spree is a satirical horror film about a rideshare driver who becomes obsessed with gaining fame on social media. He turns his vehicle into his personal kill room and claim-to-fame, taking people’s lives and uploading them on the internet. But when that doesn’t do the trick, his unhinged mind starts to plan even worse crimes.
Spree is kind of like Creep on wheels, as both antagonists are alike in the way they kill for fun. The movie doesn’t have much else apart from repeating its main premise, but the lack of depth is a nod to how viral celebrities become famous. There’s no doubt that the ease with which the main villain carries out his heinous activities will unsettle more than a few viewers.
The Voices (2014)
It’s common to see Ryan Reynolds in big-budget films like The Adam Project. But the actor has also been part of diverse indie projects. The Voices represents his creative performances, where Reynolds plays schizophrenic Jerry Hickfang. His mental problems prevent him from realizing he’s become a serial killer when his pet cat and dog urge him to do so.
The Voices has a far more sympathetic character in Creep, but they both achieve the same outcome of killing people. The movie is told through the lens of Jerry’s delusions, which usually cover up his crimes. But a few glimpses of the true horrors that happen after he’s killed someone are frightening to behold. It’s the kind of story that Creep would be if it were told from the villain’s point of view.
Published: Mar 16, 2023 09:35 pm